Heretic (Morbid Angel album)

Heretic
Studio album by Morbid Angel
Released	September 23, 2003[1]
Recorded	DOW Studios in Seffner, Florida
Genre	Death metal[2]
Length	53:12
Label	Earache
Producer	Juan "Punchy" Gonzalez, Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel chronology
Gateways to Annihilation (2000) Heretic (2003) Illud Divinum Insanus (2011)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]
Metal Storm	8.0/10[4]
Sputnikmusic	[5]

Heretic is the seventh studio album by the Florida death metal band Morbid Angel. This would be their last under Earache Records, as the band decided not to renew its contract, and is the last to feature bassist/vocalist Steve Tucker, until his return in 2015.

The album was recorded at Diet of Worms Studios by Juan Gonzalez. Heretic is the first Morbid Angel album that was not recorded at Morrisound Recording.

The second track, "Enshrined By Grace", is featured on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre soundtrack. It also had a music video which received airplay in the months following the album release.

Nile vocalist/guitarist Karl Sanders, played the outro guitar solo of "God of Our Own Divinity".

The song "Born Again" is actually the outro guitar solo from the song "Secured Limitations" off Gateways to Annihilation.

Track listing

The album was released in five different versions. The first simply contains Heretic in a standard CD case; the second is a box set featuring the album plus the 18-track CD Bonus Levels and a sticker—released in Germany only and limited to 10,000 copies; the third is a double-disc slipcase of both CDs—available only through US mail order and limited to 2,000 copies; the fourth features both discs in a double-CD jewel case—released in Europe only and limited to 20,000 copies; and the fifth is a 12-inch picture disc with no bonus CD limited to 1,500 copies.^[6][7]

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Cleansed in Pestilence (Blade of Elohim)"	Tucker	Azagthoth	4:35
2.	"Enshrined by Grace"	Tucker	Azagthoth	4:27
3.	"Beneath the Hollow"	Tucker	Azagthoth	4:20
4.	"Curse the Flesh"	Tucker	Azagthoth	3:35
5.	"Praise the Strength"	Tucker	Azagthoth	5:16
6.	"Stricken Arise"	Tucker	Sandoval, Azagthoth	4:10
7.	"Place of Many Deaths"		Azagthoth	4:13
8.	"Abyssous"		Azagthoth	1:30
9.	"God of Our Own Divinity"	Tucker	Azagthoth	6:21
10.	"Within thy Enemy"	Tucker	Azagthoth	3:17
11.	"Memories of the Past"		Sandoval	3:18
12.	"Victorious March of Reign the Conqueror"		Sandoval	2:37
13.	"Drum Check"		Sandoval	2:51
14.	"Born Again"		Azagthoth	2:35

Bonus tracks

The album contains additional tracks after "Born Again". Many of these are silent, while some contain guitar solos or ambiance (notably the sound effects from "Place of Many Deaths" on "Tortured Souls"). When ripped to a computer, the tracks with solos or songs have mostly comical names. The disc has 44 tracks and, according to interviews with Trey Azagthoth, the tracks' numbers and duration have some meaning.

Tracks not listed are silent. Names given are taken directly from the CD-Text on the disc.

30. "Inflections" – 1:35

35. "Tortured Souls" – 3:50 (sound effects from "Place of Many Deaths")

41. "Terror of MechaGodzilla Lava!" – 0:33 (the guitar solo in the end of "Praise The Strength")
42. "Triplet Lava!!" – 0:51
43. "Doomcreeper" – 4:30 (instrumental version of "Beneath the Hollow")
44. "Laff" – 0:18

Bonus Levels

A few pressings of the album were made with an extra disc called Bonus Levels. The first six tracks are all songs off the first disc, with synthesized drums and no vocals. The remaining tracks are guitar solos.

1. "Beneath the Hollow" instrumental – 4:25
2. "Curse the Flesh" instrumental – 3:34
3. "Within Thy Enemy" instrumental – 3:16
4. "God of Our Own Divinity" instrumental – 6:13
5. "Praise the Strength" instrumental – 5:15
6. "Place of Many Deaths" instrumental – 4:06
7. "Beneath the Hollow" guitar solo – 0:23
8. "Curse the Flesh" guitar solo - 0:16
9. "Praise the Strength" guitar solo – 0:16
10. "God of Our Own Divinity" guitar solo – 0:36
11. "Summoning Redemption" guitar solo 1 – 0:28
12. "Summoning Redemption" guitar solo 2 – 0:24
13. "Summoning Redemption" guitar solo 3 – 0:28
14. "Ageless, Still I Am" guitar solo 1 – 0:38
15. "Ageless, Still I Am" guitar solo 2 – 0:24
16. "At One with Nothing" guitar solo 1 – 0:30
17. "At One with Nothing" guitar solo 2 – 0:32
18. "To the Victor the Spoils" guitar solo – 0:38

Chart positions

Chart (2003)	Peak
Top Heatseekers	27[8]
Top Independent Albums	28[8]

Personnel

Morbid Angel

• Steve Tucker – bass guitar, vocals, lyricist
• Trey Azagthoth – electric guitar, guitar synthesizer, keyboards, composer
• Pete Sandoval – drums, piano, keyboards, composer

Guest

• Karl Sanders – the outro guitar solo of "God of Our Own Divinity"

Others

• Juan "Punchy" Gonzalez – producer, mixing
• Marc Sasso – cover art
• Peter "Drunken Monkey" Tsakiris – design
• Alex Solca – photography

References

1. http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Morbid_Angel/Heretic/
2. "Morbid Angel "Heretic". Metal Storm.
3. Birchmeier, Jason. "Morbid Angel Heretic". Allmusic. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
4. "Morbid Angel - Heretic review". Metal Storm. Retrieved 19 June 2014. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
5. "Morbid Angel Altars of Madness". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 19 June 2014. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
6. Robinson, Iann; Mancini, Robert; Wiederhorn, Jon (September 11, 2003). "Metal File: Hard & Heavy News on Unsane, Six Feet Under, Sevendust, Skinlab, Napalm Death, Morbid Angel & More". MTV News. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
7. "Morbid Angel 'Heretic' (MOSH272)". Earache Records. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
8. "Heretic Charts & Awards Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 1, 2010.