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Described as being the brainchild of Robert Kukla, Indoctrination of Sacrilege is the debut album by Arbitrator, and what a debut it is. The band is comprised of Kukla on rhythm guitar, bass and vocals with drummer Dirk Verbeuren (Soilwork, ex-Devin Townsend Project, ex-Aborted), Myles Malloy on lead guitar and Connor ORT Linning for programming. If you like your death metal to contain constant blasts, indistinguishable gurgles and grinding riffs, this one isn’t for you, sorry. These well crafted songs have an infectious groove to them, the riffs are punishing, the drums are precise and effective, the vocals are raw and full of anger and the soaring keyboards lift the songs to new heights; they give the album a grandiose feel, full of ominous presence. There are faster parts of course, but most of this 6 track album has a medium pace feel, quite an individual direction to take in a scene where speed is often expected. This description, however, does not do this album justice, this is no ordinary death metal band.
Melody is a word that kept jumping to mind when I was listening to this (I had it on constant repeat whilst undertaking a 5 hour car journey). There is a lot of it throughout this album, and it all melds together fantastically; the spiralling deluge in the first moments of “For that which may appease lions”, the delicate and mellow outro of “Serpent of the Styx”, and the jarring, angular dissonance of “Profaned and Perfected”. This album combines many different ideas, and has so many layers that it is impossible to take it all in on the first listen. There are parts of this album that instantly make me pull a face and nod my head in appreciation. The heavier parts of this album are married perfectly to the more melodic parts. Beautiful may not be a word that I use to describe death metal often, but yes, parts of this have an ethereal quality that is quite serene.
The electronic (yes, electronic) breaks are very effective indeed, reminiscent of the more industrial side of, metal certainly a stand out feature. Not many death metal bands have the balls to throw some downright awesome electro beats in the middle of a song (Stillborn bastard of the Nazarene) but it works brilliantly. The lead guitar work on this album is excellent, I would have liked to have heard more of what Myles Malloy can do, but that’s just my personal preference (being a guitarist myself). The solos we hear on this record are virtuosic, well phrased and are delivered with a great sense of style. The production and mix, handled by Sacha Laskow (ex-Divinity, Every Hour Kills) is perfect for this genre. There is still a grittiness to the guitars but it counterparts effortlessly with the keyboards that are placed well above the structured chaos below. Dirks drumming sits well in the mix, as do Mr Kuklas’ vocals. Neither overpower the listener, and neither are hard to hear; the details are all there in their ungodly glory. It sounds massive, like a cathedral of sound.
Indoctrination of sacrilege is executed extremely well. It is undoubtedly a dark album, darting from huge evil passages to stripped down eerie sections, full of mystery. The lyrics are heavily irreligious, although the title of the album might have given that away, as might the blasphemous artwork, courtesy of Colin Marks (Exodus, Scar Symmetry, Jeff Loomis). The feel of this record is almost schizophrenic (I mean that in the best possible way); it lulls you into a false sense of security with subtle and beautiful electronic soundscapes and then just as you start to relax, a biblically intense slab of heaviness will smash you in the face and pummel you into giblets.
The vision shown by Arbitrator on Indoctrination of Sacrilege is very refreshing. Far from being run-of-the-mill progressive/industrial death metal, this is unique. There are surprises on here that I did not expect to find. Sure, this is a death metal release, and you’d come to expect certain things when the words death metal are uttered, but this release provides unexpected pleasures. It walks the thin line between beauty and brutality with confidence, and it throws in some unorthodox but very welcome treats. Full of rage, intrigue and majesty, this is a fine debut indeed.
‘Indoctrination of Sacrilege’ will be released February 13, 2015.
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Review By Andy Prowse
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