Akercocke have been one of my favorite bands ever since their creation. Their debut album Rape Of The Bastard Nazarene (1999) was one of the most extreme releases of the year and the band gained a lot of fans and publicity. Now, some years later, I consider Akercocke as a much more mature band that manages to create an extravagantly strange and superior - on all levels - music.
Akercocke was formed by ex-members of Salem Orchid. The debut album Rape Of The Bastard Nazarene has been hailed as a classic of the genre. Female backing vocals on the album came courtesy of Tracy Warwick and Nicola Kemp. Akercocke spent mid 2002 working on a new Neil Kernon produced album named Choronzon. In 2003 the band toured with Cephalic Carnageand Dark Funeral during October and Arch Enemyin December. In April of 2004 the band also made a video for the track Leviathan. Akercocke split with guitarist Paul Scanlan in November. Former Berzeker guitarist Master Matt Wilcock filled the vacancy in April 2005. Utilizing their own Goat of Mendes studios in West London, Akercockestarted recording Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone in June. Akercocke also toured in November together with Blood Red Throne and Mortician.
I have to admit that Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone is the most diverse Akercocke album to date. As I already said, it is the most mature album because now more than ever this gang has managed to create the best background so on one hand all the ingredients would have their own place, on the other they would be combined in the best way without creating any musical gaps. In this one the listener will find a variety of new elements. The most important innovation are the progressive elements that they managed to fit in the whole and remind me of bands like Pain Of Salvation and Rush. Atmospheric parts fill the gaps between blast beats and Black Metal riffs and clean vocals start right when the growls stop. Quite unique is the atmosphere of some more Doom passages to Middle Eastern sounds like in Lex Talionis. As for the main Black/Death/Grind part, I have to say that Akercocke did what they know how to do better than anything, once more. The range of vocals is another thing in this release. Deep growls, clean ethereal vocals, even some thrilling "preaching-style voices complete the musical background.
This one is definitely the best Akercocke release to date and one of the best of 2005. What Akercocke prove through this release is that experimenting and evolving are the best things one band can do but they have to do it right. In my opinion Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone won't leave even one fan dissatisfied.