Old Man's Child - Slaves Of The World Review

Old Man’s Child have been around for quite a while and over that time they’ve managed to incur the hate of many black metal fans. The most blatant reason for this hate is because the band is commonly associated with Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, Graveworm and other black metal bands that utilize keyboards and slick productions. Of course, these bands also spark heated debates about whether they’re even black metal but that is for a different time. What is certain is that Old Man’s Child probably doesn’t deserve that hate (anymore). Over the course of seven albums, they have continuously progressed away from generic black metal and have steadily progressed towards a sound that is mostly their own. If Vermin was the culmination of that progression than Slaves of the World is its refinement and enhancement.

One of the best things that Vermin did was blend thick, heavy death/thrash riffs into its black metal foundation. These riffs allowed the songs to seamlessly shift between melodic black metal and moments of crunchy heaviness, and that’s still the case here. The difference is that these riffs are now the focal point of each song, and they’re stronger than ever. Galder managed to improve on every facet of these riffs by making them as catchy as they are heavy and also by incorporating the slightest bit of groove into some of them. These death/thrash sections are complimented perfectly by quick breaks into fast-paced melodic black metal that is full of malevolence and speed. It’s these black metal sections that receive most of the keyboard accompaniment, but even at those peak moments the keyboard melodies play nothing more than a support role....full text Pros
Expertly written, compulsively listenable black metal.
Aggression perfectly counterbalanced with symphonic touches.
Cons
Keyboard interludes add little.
Feels somewhat overproduced.
Description
Released May 19th, 2009 by Century Media Records.
Recorded in Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Old Man’s Child’s seventh studio album.
Guide Review - Old Man's Child - 'Slaves Of The World'
Galder (née Thomas Rune Anderson) is the Aaron Eckhardt of the black metal world. The Norwegian guitarist is always working, often with the best talents in underground metal, but takes a back seat to his more flamboyant conspirators. During his time away from supergroup Dimmu Borgir he’s recorded album after album of quality black metal under the moniker Old Man’s Child.

Despite clean production that might annoy kult purists and an insistence on using keyboards that detract from the music the album Slaves Of The World is a lean, feral beast that wipes the floor with what he produces in his day job.

Dimmu Borgir’s albums don’t deserve the heaping of scorn they sometimes get from the metal underground, but it’s undeniable that their recent work has boasted a Hot Topic gloss that can only be removed by an enchanted Mjollner pendant. Slaves Of The World dials down the theatrics in favor of blood and gristle. Songs occasionally steer into Dimmu-like bombast but the interludes and riffs are strong enough that you lose sight of the window dressing....full text Pure fucking evil. Old Man’s Child is just another name for the Antichrist but it could very well fit to this album as if it sounds like Satan himself forged it, and then bathed it in human blood to baptize it and release it to the unsuspecting listener. It’s been four years since the band has released anything and many thought that Galder’s (DIMMU BORGIR) project belonged to the past, but they’re back and they’re better than ever, giving us their most solid album up to date, "Slaves Of The World", and one hell (literally) of a contender for the best Black Metal release of this year.

Be prepared, if your neck isn’t trained in cases of high stress, such as relentless headbanging caused by this kind of music, it will be bad for your health and that’s something you can realize from the first few seconds of the opening track. The guitar riffs combined with the hellish vocals are just about enough to have the same effect as severing your head and putting it in the microwave; and since that’s technically impossible it’s the closest you can get....full text