Before I start on the actual musical analysis of, I must say that AKERCOCKE are regarded as rather an original band because of their appearance. When they started to play gigs and record material, they didn’t want to live up the typical stereotype of Metalheads in jeans and band t-shirts, so they donned sophisticated suits, which fans and onlookers quickly came to respect, so they decided to keep the image. Having seen them live, I’d certainly say AKERCOCKE have got a unique sense of style about them and apart from the long hair, don’t really look like an Extreme Metal band at all; more like, dare I say it, a group of accountants. Obviously this idea was utterly destroyed when they blasted into the first song.

Anyway, I’ve listed AKERCOCKE as “Extreme Metal”, because they actually fit into several categories. At times they sound like pure Grindcore, in almost every way and at other times, much more like Black Metal, especially vocally (and this side of them is reinforced by the band’s Satanic beliefs). Then just to really throw you off the scent, when you least expect it they break into melodic, ambient passages, that might even remind of TOOL, but they still manage to create a very original style by combining these elements.

The drumming is brutal; guitar riffs suitably so too, solos technical enough, but not stand-out amazing, but the vocals on the other hand, ah! Now that’s the highlight of the album for me. Jason Mendonca’s voice is at times evil and wicked, then changes to emotional and melodic and then when you least expect transforms into a brutal punishing Grindcore grunt, in the most satisfying of manner. Lyrically, “Words That Go Unspoken…” concentrates on much the same subject matter as in previous albums, dark but honest themes of sexual and Satanic lusts – the two concepts often combined in deliciously explicit fashion.

Overall, what we have here is an extremely heavy album punctuated with a few less heavy sections which add some welcome variety to the music, which definitely lives up to the expectations that have been established by the previous works of this ever impressive band. One more reason you should get it – they’re definitely one of, if not the, heaviest thing to have come out of England in a long time. I suddenly feel more proud to be English every time I listen to them! There isn’t much more to say, really, it’s just damn good metal, that no truly extreme fan can justify being without. (Online May 5, 2006)