If you're expecting a release worthy boasting the talents of two original members of EMPEROR, prepare to be disappointed. It sounds like the members of this would-be supergroup (the aforementioned Samoth and Faust, Casey Chaos from AMEN, Cosmocrator from MINDGRINDER, and Happy Tom from TURBONEGRO) just couldn't agree on a direction for this potentially notable debut record. This part punk, part thrash, part black metal hybrid seems more interested in defying genre conventions than coming up with material that a listener would want to hear more than once.

Vocalist Casey Chaos' sneering, classic punk delivery is pretty limiting, and adds nothing to the more thrashier tracks like album opener "Protest Life," or the slower, heavier tracks like "Hate the Sane." His obnoxious, seemingly ad-libbed voice-over at the end of the title track certainly didn't make me a fan, either. The band gels the most during the more straight-up punk tracks like "Throw Up on You" and "Night of 1000 Deaths." Faust is the real hero of this disc. His double-bass drum assault and moments of refined chaos provide the perfect backbone for what could've been a decent disc. Also great is the production. Stripped down and totally raw, this record is crying for better songs. It's a shame they couldn't deliver.

Being the dutiful reviewer that I am, I listened to this disc three times, and absolutely nothing has stuck with me. This is musical Chinese food. A half hour after listening to "Gospels for the Sick", you'll be hungry again. So do yourself a favor, cut out the middle man, put on a favorite record of your choice, and pass out happy.

- Broadbent

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