Review by Alex on November 22, 2019.

Blood Incantation, the name has been quite the talk since Interdimensional Extinction. Starspawn was birthed, thus giving the band stronghold in the underground. Obviously Timeghoul served as a major inspiration but Blood Incantation being fortunate enough to lurk within the modern era of technology, communication and support, are able to carry-on in contrast to Timeghoul, which should have made a comeback seeing so many bands are cashing-in on their formula. It’s been a little over 3 years since the release of Starspawn so the anticipation among avid fans were understandably high for what they expected to be a direct follow up and monumental undertaking by the band. There had been so much weighing on this new entry now titled Hidden History of the Human Race, it made me wonder if they were even able to live up to those expectations and/or demands. Which brings me to a question on most minds; is Hidden History of the Human Race anything worthy of Starspawn status?

Consider the record a technical and progressive evolution of its progenitor. Starspawn was a staggering display of serpentine atmospheric death metal, the new installment on the other hand, is still complex (a bit more in-fact) however, its atmosphere has been diluted to facilitate the hike in technical and progressive elements. Such a step does not insinuate the band's intricacies dominate to the point of purging the record of any atmosphere, instead it points in the direction of a unit willing to explore and take risks to unearth a new chapter in their music.

For anyone hoping Hidden History of the Human Race would be a repetition of that omnipresent and eerie milieu called into effect on Starspawn, you will be disappointed to find that is not so. In opposition, for the listener salivating over the band's technical and progressive talents, your latest craving will be served in abundance. "One man's loss is another man's gain", Hidden History of the Human Race embodies the saying. Don't let the gloomy nature of such an absence deter you from the record, the adjustment implies Hidden History of the Human Race goes its own route in comparison to Starspawn; thus, it is apparent Blood Incantation did not want to make something they already did. I can see why the record would be polarizing among a percentage of the band's supporters; however, I believe the it will gain the appreciation of even the toughest and most outspoken critics over a period of time.

'Slave Species of the Gods' pretty much laid out an accurate projection of what direction the band would take this time around. Even after having heard the preview of 'Inner Paths (To Outer Space)' (which did retain a minuscule but noticeable percentage of atmosphere), one could tell the band was maneuvering a clearly less ambient path, hence there's no surprise the album reflects precisely that. But just how much of the climate is suppressed?, enough to be dwarfed by the complex chest puffing festival passing by. Remember all is not lost amidst the intricate environ, 'The Giza Power Plant' has its moments somewhat reaching back (to some avail) for the milieu Starspawn copiously communicated to the listener, hence this track predictably would be one of the favorites (among subscribers of such) on Hidden History of the Human Race. The final mouthful being 'Awakening from the Dream of Existence to the Multidimensional Nature of Our Reality (Mirror of the Soul)' is the 18-minute opus that whilst compositely sound also fairs well in reaching a convincing climax.

The end-product bares more in common with an involuted expedition which one may argue is a representation of the circuitous themes explored. The team of Isaac Faulk, Paul Reidl, Jeff Barrett and Morris Kolontyrsky put their hearts into making Hidden History of the Human Race an authentic record, even going the length of recording the album in analogue. That's something to consider given the labyrinthine nature of the music and how difficult it is to record in such a transmission. Antti Boman's interstellar roar on 'Inner Paths (To Outer Space)' could be seen as the album's certification.

At first I was questioning the adjustment in wiring of the band's musical circuitry now seemingly configured to appease their technical and progressive talents; however, after repeated listens I have come to appreciate and even love the album. Though through Blood Incantation's lack of subservience to the crowd that would have wanted the atmosphere to be a dominating factor, the little on display has proven to be still ancillary to an extent. And while it may not be what I was expecting, nothing can be taken away from the excellence of the drumming and riffing. Some may argue that the instrumental fiddling is too reflective of filler, I view them as not being such undesirables, rather, inclusions procedural and integral of Blood Incantation’s identity. Complete with the intriguing artwork of Bruce Pennington, Hidden History of the Human Race is a much-needed stepping-stone in the band's musical journey, still inchoate whilst being nourished.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Alex on November 22, 2019.

Blood Incantation, the name has been quite the talk since Interdimensional Extinction. Starspawn was birthed, thus giving the band stronghold in the underground. Obviously Timeghoul served as a major inspiration but Blood Incantation being fortunate enough to lurk within the modern era of technology, communication and support, are able to carry-on in contrast to Timeghoul, which should have made a comeback seeing so many bands are cashing-in on their formula. It’s been a little over 3 years since the release of Starspawn so the anticipation among avid fans were understandably high for what they expected to be a direct follow up and monumental undertaking by the band. There had been so much weighing on this new entry now titled Hidden History of the Human Race, it made me wonder if they were even able to live up to those expectations and/or demands. Which brings me to a question on most minds; is Hidden History of the Human Race anything worthy of Starspawn status?

Consider the record a technical and progressive evolution of its progenitor. Starspawn was a staggering display of serpentine atmospheric death metal, the new installment on the other hand, is still complex (a bit more in-fact) however, its atmosphere has been diluted to facilitate the hike in technical and progressive elements. Such a step does not insinuate the band's intricacies dominate to the point of purging the record of any atmosphere, instead it points in the direction of a unit willing to explore and take risks to unearth a new chapter in their music.

For anyone hoping Hidden History of the Human Race would be a repetition of that omnipresent and eerie milieu called into effect on Starspawn, you will be disappointed to find that is not so. In opposition, for the listener salivating over the band's technical and progressive talents, your latest craving will be served in abundance. "One man's loss is another man's gain", Hidden History of the Human Race embodies the saying. Don't let the gloomy nature of such an absence deter you from the record, the adjustment implies Hidden History of the Human Race goes its own route in comparison to Starspawn; thus, it is apparent Blood Incantation did not want to make something they already did. I can see why the record would be polarizing among a percentage of the band's supporters; however, I believe the it will gain the appreciation of even the toughest and most outspoken critics over a period of time.

'Slave Species of the Gods' pretty much laid out an accurate projection of what direction the band would take this time around. Even after having heard the preview of 'Inner Paths (To Outer Space)' (which did retain a minuscule but noticeable percentage of atmosphere), one could tell the band was maneuvering a clearly less ambient path, hence there's no surprise the album reflects precisely that. But just how much of the climate is suppressed?, enough to be dwarfed by the complex chest puffing festival passing by. Remember all is not lost amidst the intricate environ, 'The Giza Power Plant' has its moments somewhat reaching back (to some avail) for the milieu Starspawn copiously communicated to the listener, hence this track predictably would be one of the favorites (among subscribers of such) on Hidden History of the Human Race. The final mouthful being 'Awakening from the Dream of Existence to the Multidimensional Nature of Our Reality (Mirror of the Soul)' is the 18-minute opus that whilst compositely sound also fairs well in reaching a convincing climax.

The end-product bares more in common with an involuted expedition which one may argue is a representation of the circuitous themes explored. The team of Isaac Faulk, Paul Reidl, Jeff Barrett and Morris Kolontyrsky put their hearts into making Hidden History of the Human Race an authentic record, even going the length of recording the album in analogue. That's something to consider given the labyrinthine nature of the music and how difficult it is to record in such a transmission. Antti Boman's interstellar roar on 'Inner Paths (To Outer Space)' could be seen as the album's certification.

At first I was questioning the adjustment in wiring of the band's musical circuitry now seemingly configured to appease their technical and progressive talents; however, after repeated listens I have come to appreciate and even love the album. Though through Blood Incantation's lack of subservience to the crowd that would have wanted the atmosphere to be a dominating factor, the little on display has proven to be still ancillary to an extent. And while it may not be what I was expecting, nothing can be taken away from the excellence of the drumming and riffing. Some may argue that the instrumental fiddling is too reflective of filler, I view them as not being such undesirables, rather, inclusions procedural and integral of Blood Incantation’s identity. Complete with the intriguing artwork of Bruce Pennington, Hidden History of the Human Race is a much-needed stepping-stone in the band's musical journey, still inchoate whilst being nourished.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Joshua on May 27, 2004.

Hey, look, it's another "metalcore" band! Or maybe it's "sludgecore". Or maybe it's "another American band that sounds somewhere between Prong and rehashed Pantera". In any case, this is Damageplan's new CD, and I'm bored. This is an extremely average album. I couldn't think of anything that more precisely fits the status quo.

Here is how to sound exactly like Damageplan: Begin with a band playing American metal, with thrash, hardcore, and grunge influences. Listen to lots of Pantera, Prong, and old Bad Brains. Make sure there's a token celebrity, someone whose creative talent peaked in 1995, such as former Pantera members Dimebag Darrel and Vinnie Paul. Add guest musicians from whatever merde du jour is in the American top fifty, such as Slipknot's Corey Taylor, or fifty other interchangeable "nu" metal "stars"... anyone whose fifteen minutes of fame are up. Then, take a singer, have him shout a lot, and mix the vocals down to immasculate whatever power they otherwise could contain.

Wait, we're only halfway through the formula! Now, to mix things up, you need to include some actual singing, sounding exactly like Alice in Chains. Then, just when your audience starts to take interest, find some dissonant "chunky" riff, borrowed from a hardcore act like Blood for Blood. Repeat ad nauseum. Finally, have fifth graders with anger control problems write a bunch of lyrics about hitting people. Make sure there's a track called "Fuck You", or something comparably rude and angry. Now market your album as "edgy", "intense", and "aggressive", so that sixteen-year-olds who've never heard a Prong CD will snatch it up.

Finally, post-produce everything to sound like Cowboys from Hell.

This isn't a bad album; but it's not exceptional, by any means. Quite the opposite: anyone could have released this disc. That's really the problem. This is completely generic, a bunch of guys trying to sound angry and intense in exactly the same way that every other band is trying to sound angry and intense. The tragedy of the commons is the rule of mediocrity, and this disc exemplifies that perfectly.

Of course, there's some original talent here, but it's mostly well-disguised, and appears mainly later in the album. I can say great things about the timing, transitions, structure, and technical finesse one hears in "Crawl", "Cold Blooded", the title track, and "Blink of an Eye", but they're mostly grunge, and not exactly "metal". I could also say that parts of songs show considerable musical depth, giving them reasonable replay value. However, I can say no more than "parts of songs". On the whole, most of this is ill-arranged. "Blunt Force Trauma", for example, makes absolutely no sense — and, rather than the jubilant pandemonium of countless now-defunct black metal masters, the effect comes across as rushed songwriting, done so that they can make another disc and tour.

So, to summarize: The throwback reminders of Prong are refreshing, but they're counterbalanced by the fact that this is the most formulaic album I've heard in years. If you like the (much) lighter side of "metalcore", this will have appeal for you. Otherwise, like me, you'll just shrug, toss it aside, listen to old Prong CDs, and not have to worry about running into the occasional Alice in Chains tribute. This is Hatebreed lite. Very, very average stuff.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 6
Atmosphere: 5
Production: 5
Originality: 4
Overall: 5

Rating: 5 out of 10