Review by Death8699 on October 7, 2019.

From just 30 minutes of audio, Deicide unleashes their most evil and demonic release ever! With backup screams that makes Glen Benton sound like the antichrist, the most original and unrelenting musical genius comes about. I’ve never heard a Deicide album sound as so evil in its’ entirety. Not even Legion can top this death metal release that deserves utmost praise. Such original riffs to the songs featuring solos that are remarkably fast and furious. The lyrical concepts have always been the same by Glen, complete and utter blasphemy without any letup.

The Hoffman brothers on guitars here featuring solos that are ferocious. It’s difficult to distinguish whose solos are who’s since both members share a similar amount of talent. In regard to the music, you have time signatures that are all over the place. Down picked riffs then enter heavy tremolo picking which gives the album diversity. Chords galore alongside Glen’s most Satanic vocal efforts within their entire discography. Glen admitted to doing a lot of heavy drinking before entering the studio to record this album. But that’s obligatory.

What counts here the most is the music. With so many passing years growing worse and worse, their debut and Legion are the 2 most amazing Deicide albums in existence. But on their debut, there is complete evil with vocals that screamed out its utter brutality alongside backup studio effect screams with it. Every song on here is entirely original in regard to the riffs, the solos and the overall musicianship. Songs like “Lunatic of God’s Creation”, “Sacrificial Suicide” and “Dead By Dawn”, these dominate the whole album. But every song is good no matter which one you choose to dissect and analyze.

Utmost intensity on every song and one song about Mr. Jones called “Carnage In the Temple of the Damned” which opens up history of blasphemy in the making. The ideas and song structures make Deicide what they were during the early days: a blasphemous, unrelentingly evil and demonic death metal band that used to have such utmost talent. Be it age, laziness in songwriting that they became over the years, their debut is one of the strongest outputs to date. The music is without a doubt so extreme and brutal with everything that you could massively tell that these guys meant business for Satan.

Their unique style of riff structures in each song kept this album flowing with so much intensity and adrenaline. Nothing could outwit this one. There is no comparison to this one that holds true for the band that that used to really dominate the death metal genre. Amazing how much they slowed down over the years and lost that total progression as musicians. Sorry to hear such a talented death metal quartet go to pieces. But what matters here is their debut and how much intensity involved in its’ making. A 30-minute death metal onslaught of precision. Don’t ever leave this one out of your death metal collection!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Review by Krys on May 31, 2001.

No wonder that Tobias Sammet’s project Avantasia was for months the subject of speculations. Hiring the top of the crop from heavy metal world will not only get attention from metal fans but also from every person involved in the music business. What can I say, the list is impressive. Michael Kiske (nickname Ernie on the album), David Defeis, Ralf Zdiarstek, Sharon Den Adel, Rob Rock, Oliver Hartmann, Andre Matos, Kai Hansen and Timo Tolkki as vocalists only should give you a good idea of the quality and size of this project. I didn’t mention their original bands’ names on purpose because true metal fans can name them in their sleep. As for you who don’t have any idea who those people are do yourself a favor and find it out. You won’t regret it.

So what is "The Metal Opera"? It’s a concept album with a quite complex and expanding fantasy story based partly on medieval times and partly on a religious background where each guest vocalist takes over a different character, which by the way is described in detail in the booklet. Other than that, it is the best power metal album at least since Helloween’s two "Keeper..." discs if not better. Simply put, it’s a brilliant masterpiece for the ages. You don’t believe me? Then move your sorry ass from this computer and go buy it. There are not enough words to describe Tobias’ compositions and arrangements genius. The guitar riffs, the solos, the rhythm section are just amazing.

Describing each song is absolutely a secondary matter in the case of this album because each one of them is a piece of art and can stand on its own outside of the overall concept. Every song is full of outstanding heavy metal riffs and fantastically played solos. Perfectly played rhythm section and change of tempos makes it one of the most energetic and enthusiastic releases I’ve heard. You’ll be amazed by complexity of this release and at this same time by melodic simplicity of each song. One word - a killer. Don’t listen to this album with closed eyes and headphones though, because those tracks are so warm to the ears that after listening to this album you might surprisingly find yourself floating in the sky with an open heart looking for love. I know, it’s a scary thought for some metal-devils, I warned you.

Bottom Line: If you’ve never heard or liked power metal I simply don’t know a better release to start with. For everyone else, I assume you already have it or you are on the way to the store right now.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Carcassbomb on May 3, 2020.

This album has a lot of negative reviews out there. For me this was my first Deafheaven album and working back through their backlog has been an interesting journey. Each album is a distinct experience and Ordinary Corrupt Human Love is the most distinct of all. That isn’t to say it’s their best work but rather to validate its place within the discography. They are labelled as post-black metal, which is a rare label to see and can mean a few things. Deafheaven have received this label due to the experimental approach they have to black metal, something they have always done. So, it seems odd to get upset when that experimentation takes a direction that could be considered a departure from the rest of their music. It’s just a hell of a lot brighter this time round and I think that’s thrown off the conventional black metal fans who tend to thrive on being the exact opposite of ‘bright’. In their album New Bermuda, you can hear riffs and sections that touch on what OCHL is doing. I feel like they decided to expand on that aspect of their sound and apply it to the heavier parts of their albums to create a whole new sound.

Two things are plainly present here, shoegaze and black metal. I love this combination because it just works, they are both genres known long brooding songs and often a platform to express negative feelings or destructive thoughts. Again, something I really enjoy. What OCHL does is use the conventions and stylings of both genres instrumentally but applies a tone that is more upbeat and positive. It’s the same familiar transitions, riffs and beats but they have been turned upside down. This is not only a cool concept for an album, but it also shows great craftsmanship musically, to deconstruct the two genres they have been known for and rebuild something new and interesting out of it. They essentially deconstructed themselves as a band. So not only does this fit in with their music but it also speaks volumes of Deafheaven’s awareness of what they do. Essentially, the point of contention for some listeners might be the aesthetic which goes against anything typically found in extreme metal genres.

The vocals are great, on a regular black metal album they wouldn’t be anything special, but they are used with the bright music in a way that is really fitting. A lot of the notes end high where they would end low and the rhythm is different. The vocalist clearly has a solid understand of the genres and he freely manipulates them for his own use. This will be restated in many ways, but I can’t help but express how much creativity is at play here. It has really breathed life into some very old ideas and styles. Other bands have attempted the core concept presented here but this is the most successful version of it that I have heard. The lyrics are stunning, I’d recommend reading them as they contribute to the attitude of the album in a very casually poetic way.

Instrumentally this album is damn near a masterpiece. It grooves, it takes it’s time and yet it is always making its point. There’s a lot of aggressive metal guitar work like tremolo picking used on this album but it’s done on a brighter key or scale, so it just sounds nice or “pretty”. It really is the reverse side of black metal and I’m not sure if it would be as possible without the slow shoegaze aspect of the songs. It still has heaviness, but it’s been inverted, I think this album is a good lesson on the idea that aggression doesn’t equal heavy. The drumming really starts to pick up when the tracks grow in intensity, becoming just as noisy as you’d hear on any other metal record. Particularly the track 'Glint', when it reaches its peak, it goes off like fireworks on the night of your life. It’s all the parts of previous albums that made Deafheaven unique put into one fully realized album that doesn’t borrow anything for the sake of contrast.

Overall this is a very emotionally stirring album and I am very glad I found out about it. It’s one of those few albums that feels like you’re exploring something as you listen to it and I haven’t felt this strongly about an album in a long time. It takes you on a journey and I think that’s worth more than any amount of genre loyalty or pandering.

This album is like your life flashing before your eyes as you lie on the verge of death but everything you see makes you happy.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

(Originally written for Noob Heavy)