First off, I was a fan of Illdisposed before I heard The Prestige, so I was anxious to hear what they had in store after "Burn Me Wicked". Illdisposed mixes the Gothenburg sound, which was established by the likes of At The Gates, with a more brutal sound. The singer, Bo Summer, has, hands-down, some of the most brutal vocal talents around, which really help give Illdisposed their edge.
Their previous effort, "Burn Me Wicked", was a rollercoaster ride that had a lot to offer, but was an extremely mixed bag of songs. This time around, there's a much stronger sense of consistency, as each song seems to be the next logical step, as you listen to the album.
The Prestige is more brutal than their last two efforts, incorporating more groovy, headbang-inducing passages that are heavy as fuck. Overall it's faster, most of the songs being mid-paced but containing some high-tempo parts ("The Tension", "Like Cancer"). The melodies this time around are a little more melancholic and a little more subtle.
The subject matter has always seemed quite personal, and this time it's no different. There seems to a be story behind each song and set against the brutal music and contrasted by the vocals, the lyrics take on a darker note. The track "A Child Is Missing" stand out, being quite bleak.
The Prestige is an album that requires several listens before you can truly appreciate everything. At first listen it may sound less melodic and overly simple, but dive in and you'll find a record that will grow on you and give you plenty to sink your teeth into. Highly recommended.
A second opinion by Argus
I am generally loathe to admit liking modern death metal; in fact, it hardly ever happens, but Illdisposed do it well on this release. They have a groove in their material that, at the very least, gives it a listenable and tangible feel. The vocals are, for the most part, pretty good; one can hear plenty of the standard fare death grumbling, but Summer throws in enough of the mid-pitched vocals to reduce some of the dullness inherent with death metal. The leads are commendable, too, as the guitarists seem to be comfortable with actually allowing death metal leads to be anything but bland, I kid you not.
On a whole, I was pleasantly surprised by this album - not totally my thing, but would definitely make good work/party/kill-time music.
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