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Autokrator - The Obedience To Authority review




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Reviewer:
8.0

17 users:
6.76
Band: Autokrator
Album: The Obedience To Authority
Release date: April 2016


01. Chapter I
02. Chapter II
03. Chapter III
04. Chapter IV
05. Chapter V
06. Chapter VI
07. Chapter VII
08. Chapter VIII

"Autokrator" is a term, Greek in origin, which roughly translates to "self ruler," or "one who rules by self." It is an epithet that conveys raw, unrestrained power and authority. Fittingly then, the sophomore effort from the French Autokrator gives listeners a fine lesson in such authority.

In case you missed their debut from last year, Autokrator deliver a bleak, ferocious sound that boils down to something like "industrial + death metal + drone." At the end of the day, this sound leans more towards those first two than anything else, but the way in which it's played, in a very monotonous, repetitive style, with very little note or tempo variation (if any), bears a heavy drone influence as well. On The Obedience To Authority, the band more or less continues the formula already established on their debut: the music here is cold, detached, and simply refuses to yield to any external force standing in its way. You may be begging for it to stop at points, either because the listening experience is simply too painful, or because you find the formula too boring, but it will not relent. The violence of the Autokrator is here to bring submission, and bring it it shall.

There is one small twist to The Obedience To Authority, however. This time around we actually see Autokrator experimenting with some less violent (though equally as dark) atmospheric effects in their mix, hints at a possible dark ambient influence. Other than Chapters III and VI, which are full on ambient interludes, this technique only really seems to appear as a way of closing out tracks, a new way of ending the carnage with a more haunting epilogue of sorts. This new technique appears infrequently, but the fact that it's even there to begin with is enough to make The Obedience To Authority more interesting than its predecessor, as it demonstrates that Autokrator are indeed committed to evolution and maturing their sound over time. I'd personally like to see these ambient effects expanded upon and interwoven more into the rest of the music, but this raises the question of whether or not Autokrator's doing so will sacrifice the more violent, uncompromising nature of said music. Time will tell.

As with the band's debut, The Obedience To Authority's rigid, terrifying approach will inevitably make it appealing to a very small audience, and many will probably be bored by the lack of variation amongst its tracks and the monolithic, repetitive composition style. But this conclusion may be failing to take one important question into consideration. At the end of the day, what is the nature of "one who rules by self"? They are absolutists, they often lack emotion or concern for anyone but themselves. They hold total, unlimited power, they are staunch and unwavering. And the music of Autokrator follows suit in such a delivery: devoid of emotion, staunch, and unwavering. Looking at the interior artwork of both albums from the band, the music they put forth really couldn't be a better reflection of the themes that they're working with. And it's yet another of many examples in the music world that sometimes, more often than thought in fact, less truly is more.

Submit to the authority.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 7
Production: 8





Written on 21.05.2016 by Metal Storm’s own Babalao. Comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable since 2013.


Comments

Comments: 10   Visited by: 149 users
21.05.2016 - 22:55
Alex F
Slick Dick Rick
I wasn't too crazy with the band's self titled release. Sounds like the band's style hasn't changed, but I'll definitely still give it a whirl or two to see what I really think.
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21.05.2016 - 23:02
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by Alex F on 21.05.2016 at 22:55

I wasn't too crazy with the band's self titled release. Sounds like the band's style hasn't changed, but I'll definitely still give it a whirl or two to see what I really think.

It's changed slightly, but like I said, that change in itself is enough to make it more interesting (at least for me). I'd definitely put this ahead of the debut in terms of quality. It's still very detached, smothering, and monotonous though, at the end of the day. Very "love it or hate it," I'd say, and for a pretty small audience
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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22.05.2016 - 22:21
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Alex F on 21.05.2016 at 22:55

I wasn't too crazy with the band's self titled release. Sounds like the band's style hasn't changed, but I'll definitely still give it a whirl or two to see what I really think.


yes but I doubt band can live long, uniteled songs is not good I don't like, seems band has no ideas, and you need super uber weird in genre to get this
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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23.05.2016 - 00:00
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by Bad English on 22.05.2016 at 22:21

yes but I doubt band can live long, uniteled songs is not good I don't like, seems band has no ideas

Tell that to Blut Aus Nord
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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23.05.2016 - 00:13
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Auntie Sahar on 23.05.2016 at 00:00

Written by Bad English on 22.05.2016 at 22:21

yes but I doubt band can live long, uniteled songs is not good I don't like, seems band has no ideas

Tell that to Blut Aus Nord


well I like some albums but still ... weird
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
11.09.2016 - 09:45
Rating: 9
Autokrator

Larval Productions (Caveman Cult, Tetragrammacide, Lord of Depression, Infernal Sacrament) will release the vinyl version of Autokrator "The Obedience to Authority" on
Gatefold LP in november 2016.

http://www.larvalproductions.com
http://larval.storenvy.com/
https://soundcloud.com/larvalproductions
https://www.facebook.com/larvalproductions

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31.10.2016 - 19:00
Rating: 9
Autokrator

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21.04.2018 - 07:44
Rating: 8
METAL ELEPHANT

Overall, I liked it. But I think the production was horrible. Everything sounded muddy, muffled, and unclear. It's hard to make out the individual instruments, especially the drums. I don't know if this was intentional, but it didn't work for me. Musically, I liked the song structure and sounds/grooves, but it'd be nice to actually hear the instruments better. Get rid of the 'muffle', and this album would have been killer.
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25.04.2018 - 15:09
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Written by METAL ELEPHANT on 21.04.2018 at 07:44

Overall, I liked it. But I think the production was horrible. Everything sounded muddy, muffled, and unclear. It's hard to make out the individual instruments, especially the drums. I don't know if this was intentional, but it didn't work for me. Musically, I liked the song structure and sounds/grooves, but it'd be nice to actually hear the instruments better. Get rid of the 'muffle', and this album would have been killer.


That was the point
----
Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
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26.04.2018 - 06:49
Rating: 8
METAL ELEPHANT

Perhaps....but the new album (Hammer of the Heretics) does have cleaner production, and it IS killer !
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