If I could catch a glimpse of your grand design...

1) Verdelet
2) Seduced
3) Shelter From The Sand
4) Eyes Of The Dawn
5) Abbadonna, Dying In The Sun
6) Words That Go Unspoken
7) Intractable
8) Seraphs and Silence
9) The Penance
10) Lex Talonis

Next up in my random selection of the best albums of the 2000s is one from perhaps the best British band of recent times. It feels a bit of a shame to say something like that, classifying them as British as if they've overcome some kind of burden and managed a spectacular feat of endeavour to create a good album. I'll start this again; Akercocke kick ass. They play blinding mix of blackened death metal with progressive elements. More music that mixes prog with metal, me thinks a theme is emerging in the albums I post here.
Anywho, I first got into the 'cocke when I heard two songs from the 'Choronozon' album on a sampler CD I got free with Metal Hammer (back when I thought the magazine still had the tiniest shred of dignity left.) I remember being absolutely blown away by the songs, Leviathan and Son Of The Morning, from then on I was hooked. I bought the album, and the previous two releases 'The Rape Of The Bastard Nazarene' 'Goat Of Mendes', and couldn't get enough of them. I loved the raw blackened death sound they played on the first two, with just a hint of progression bleeding into songs like 'A Skin For Dancing In.' I read up on the band, not only were they British but they came from London to boot. Not only this but they also had a penchant for wearing rather dapper suits on stage and during photo shoots.
So, I then hear in 2005 that the band were going to release a new album, I nearly shit myself in eager anticipation and when it hits it only turns out to be one of the best damn albums I think I've ever heard. To top it all off the album sports what is one of my favourite songs of all time...'Verdelet.' I know it's a bold statement and all and I know that for me, like most people I assume, their favourite songs change from day to day, minute to minute, but Verdelet is always up there in my top somethingorother. However, this one simple song is so full of not only 'win' and 'awesome' but also emotion and a sense of real honesty. It rises above the simple 'anit-christian' lyrics of some of the bands work and actually hits home to the real spirit of anyone who has ever questioned life/death or their own existence. It's enough to bring a full grown metal-head to tears of joy, sadness and realisation.
This doesn't even begin to draw upon the crushing epic majesty of 'Shelter From the Sand' nor the haunting message of 'Intractable.' The album continually fluxes between melody and brutality, something it does with brilliance and aplomb but not in any simplistic 'quiet bit, loud bit, quiet bit, loud bit' non-sense, there is real creative song writhing and structure here.
Anyway, it's a brilliant album from start to finish and deserves to be heard by as many people as possible, so give it a listen and go buy it when (not if) you think it's a work of genius and if any doubt remains, simply think on these lines:
'Hollow inside but dreaming
I curse this world
That it should keep turning
I curse this God
Who decrees that I should die
I will give you Hell
Avail the sins of the past'
....FUCK...YOUR....GOD!