Through the Flesh to the Soul

2003's Through the Flesh to the Soul was the first album released since vocalist/guitarist Jacob Hansen put the long dormant Invocator back together in the year 2000. A rather apt example of their country's modest contribution to heavy metal in general (the seminal Mercyful Fate and King Diamond notwithstanding), the Danish band is extremely and typically competent at their craft, but ultimately come across as underachievers compared to the superior trendsetters further north. To wit, Through the Flesh to the Soul is a solid offering of melodic post-thrash that entertains from start to finish, but leaves only snapshots of true remembered inspiration at its conclusion. In the band's defense, Hansen's predominantly clean vocals do sound like a breath of fresh air compared to the growling and grunting that dominates new-millennium metal; and, when judged against their closest sonic equivalent, San Francisco's Machine Head, this release is arguably stronger than the later releases from Robb Flynn's crew. Perhaps because, for all of its modern metal aspirations, Through the Flesh to the Soul is relatively nu-metal free, but also because album highlights "There Is No Savior," the title track, and "Infatuated I Am (Speak to Me)" display an astute balance of heaviness, aggression, and melody. In both of the latter cases, Invocator use slowly mounting, darkly mesmerizing guitar harmonies to elevate the tension to the breaking point — then deliver their deathblow through a series of jagged riffs and well-conceived solos. Although it's by no means essential to the average metal fan, Through the Flesh to the Soul is surely one of Invocator's better albums, so serious fans will not be disappointed.