ALBUM REVIEW: In Accordance With The Prophecy – GYAOS:DIABOLICAL

GYAOS:DIABOLICAL, the solo project of Austin Koll, follows up debut album Let The Vultures Speak with a new record titled In Accordance With The Prophecy and it mixes a crossover/hardcore sound with elements of blackened thrash metal to create a heady blend of heaviness. This new album follows a similar path to the debut record but definitely ups the ante in every way possible, with the heavy vibe both in terms of sound and the subjects that the songs tackle being even more prominent this time around.

In Accordance With The Prophecy opens with a cover of Destroy 2000 Of Culture by legendary German electronic rabble-rousing legends ATARI TEENAGE RIOT and while it is a bold choice to open up an album with a cover song, this choice seems to sit well with the concept of the album which is a reimagining of cult 1979 movie Prophecy and the systematic eradication of individual autonomy and thought. The GYAOS:DIABOLICAL version doesn’t really bear much sonic similarity to the original as it is not bolstered by digital hardcore sounds but rather done with instruments, but it works and gives the song a more live feel. It’s certainly packed with almost as much anger as the original version, and the album in general seems to take influence from the sonic assault of ATR and the whole digital hardcore revolution in using music as a powerful tool to convey their message,

After this blistering opening salvo sets the tone, the album transforms into more crossover thrash fare with songs like Null Pointer Exception, Burn The World, Shadow Of The Damned and Against All Gods adding groove to proceedings at times, all the while demonstrating an energetic vibe throughout with the black metal elements coming out as well especially in the vocal department. The energy of the songs is the main thing that comes out as the whole thing flies by in a powerful manner, leaving behind a blistering wave of devastation in its path while making you think about the state of the world in turn. The album concludes in brutal fashion with the very aptly titled Relentless Hatestream and the atmospheric and epic Katahdin Is Risen which finishes things off on a high.

Koll performs everything on In Accordance With The Prophecy with production handled by famed producer/engineer Don Fury (who has worked with a whole host of legendary hardcore bands including AGNOSTIC FRONT, SICK OF IT ALL and YOUTH OF TODAY) and this bolsters the crossover sound and gives it a crisp finish. When combined with the finesse of the thrash and black metal elements, it works so well. In Accordance With The Prophecy is a focused collection of songs with a whole host of energy going on and Koll delivers the whole project with aplomb, unleashing a torrent of hatred at an impressively nonstop pace.

Rating: 7/10

In Accordance With The Prophecy is set for release on January 13th via self-release.

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