Invocator “Weave the Apocalypse” CD

Okay, every self-respecting metal fan needs to take heed of this post, because yesterday when I referred to this as "some of the most criminally underrated and completely and utterly badass early-90's death/thrash of all time" I was not fucking kidding, so listen up, because this will probably be one of the greatest hidden treasures I ever write about here.

Sometimes it all comes down to simple mathematics, really. Even though I had never heard of the band in my entire life, while browsing the used bins of a local record store: Released on Black Mark in 1993 + Dan Seagrave cover art + a mere $6 = Mine. The end. Sure, I was expecting generic third-rate death metal that I'd probably resell after a few listens, but sometimes you take a chance, and sometimes it pays off tenfold.

This is one of those times.

Within 10 seconds of popping this CD in for the first time (thanks to impeccable opener "Through the Nether to the Sun") I was flooded with a surge of questions and, quite honestly, felt both thrilled and enraged at the same time. Why the fuck have I not owned this record for the greater portion of the 13 years since its release!? Why is this album not widely held in high regard right alongside all of the other early-90's classics of technical death/thrash metal!? More importantly: What in the fuck is wrong with the world that someone as obsessed with this music as myself did not even know that this band existed until four days ago... and why in the name of all things completely and utterly badass did I have to discover it through a blind $6 purchase in a fucking used bin!? Whoever sold this CD: You're fucking not smart, but thank you kindly, because now the problem has been rectified. 13 years late, but better late than never, so I'll be thankful for what I can. One man's trash is another man's treasure and all that...

Invocator formed in Denmark in the late-80's and originally broke up in the mid-90's after releasing three full-lengths, of which this masterpiece, "Weave the Apocalypse", was their second. Useless trivia: The band featured Per Moller Jensen, perhaps best know at present for his work in The Haunted. Also, I was actually stunned to learn that guitarist/vocalist Jacob Hansen reformed Invocator with an almost entirely new lineup five or six years ago, so their most recent album was released in 2003 (though while not bad, it doesn't hold a candle to this).

The general consensus seems to be that "Weave the Apocalypse" is the band's finest hour, and from what audio samples I've been able to locate in the last few days I'd say that's an accurate assessment. But holy shit what an album this is, chock full of short and memorable tracks that are jam packed with some of the meatiest riffs I've heard in a long, long time. This material really does walk a fine line between thrash and death metal, with unique vocals and a songwriting style that really was way the hell ahead of its time—while still clinging to all the best that true thrash had to offer in the 80's. It's fuckin' great, because there are shitloads of fucked up time signatures and tempo changes with some blazing and well-arranged leads that all combine winding melody and dissonance in a truly creative fashion, but the guitar tone is one of the best I've ever encountered—hence that meatiness to the picking patterns that really amps up the chunkiness of the attack and creates some wholly crushing moments (see 35 seconds into "Lost at Birth" for proof).

The last song on the CD (the title track) is one of the best, but it runs 3:21 and sounds like it cuts short a few seconds early (or more) right in the middle of a riff, which drives me fucking nuts. I assume it's an idiotic mastering/manufacturing error that affects all existing copies of the CD, but if by chance someone out there has a copy on which this is not a problem, please do let me know. Thanks.

While the official status of this album is most definitely out of print, at least you can thankfully still find copies. Generally they seem to be priced in the $20—$30 range (new or used), which is pretty damn steep, but... I guess it almost makes sense since this album is such a fucking scorcher. I absolutely recommend it on every level, so if you can find the right price, take care of business:

@ Amazon.com

Rest assured more Invocator material is certainly in my future, too! And a lot of times I think the more I "cuss" the better an album is, so... once again it all comes down to simple mathematics with this one, ha, ha!