Review: Communic ”Hiding From The World” [AFM Records]

Three years after Where Echoes Gather, the Norwegians return with their sixth album. I wasn’t having high hopes on this one as the two previous albums felt rather uninspired in a way, compared to their early works. The opening track however got some of my attention with some really heavy Thrash riffing, quite similar to Conspiracy in Mind. A good start, but the hopes didn’t last for long. The almost 10 minute long title track and “My Temple of Pride” sounds just as uninspired as Where Echoes Gather and I was just about to get my hopes crushed once more.

Then something happens. “Face in the Crowd” kicks in and completely blows my mind. The same heavy, technical and thought-through thing as the opening track comes and crushes what started out as another mediocre piece. They sound really pissed off here and even adds some blast beats to the mix. It moves on with the amazingly emotional “Born Without a Heart” before attacking us with some groovy and technical 7/8 beats in “Scavengers Await”. This album surely proves that Oddleif still has some inspiration within himself and Communic still know how to write a kick a** album.

It’s not really up there with the first two albums, but it’s a close call. It beats Payments of Existence at least, which was another great album in my book. The album finishes off with another 10 minute epic. This time the ultra-emotional ballad “Forgotten” which probably is one of the most emotional pieces Oddleif has written, in the same league as “At Dewy Prime” and “Ocean Bed”. Well done guys! It really baffles me how they choose the only two weaker songs on the album as singles thou.