Prowler In The Yard (Relapse~2001)
The opening track is a sickening story being told by a computerized voice. Two quotes from that story define how this album can be judged: "This is disgusting. It’s pornography." or "No, no, no. This is beautiful. This is art." My choice? All of the above. The one word which comes to mind most often when I think of this release is "disturbing". The cover artwork, the story told by the computerized voice at the beginning and end of the album, the text included at the back of the enclosed booklet and the twisted lyrics are all a bit disturbing, even to the eyes and ears of a metal fan who has been exposed to more than his share of "extreme" music. Add all of the aforementioned elements to the scathing riffs and tortured vocals and the result is a piece of perverse musical genius that is one of the highlights of the metal year, 2001.