Hypocrisy are back, with a vengeance! Ten years after releasing their storming debut Penetralia the Swedes realized it was time for a breath of fresh air. And Catch 22 is not just your average refreshing summer breeze but a unexpected fiercely lashing whirlwind that required some serious strapping (up)! The new track ‘Turn the Page’ that already appeared on their 10 years of Chaos and Confusion-compilation album is a pretty good indication of what to expect. You can be damn sure that main-man Peter Tägtgren wasn’t joking when in recent interviews he expressed his frustration about the way things had been going the past couple of years, and you can take his comments on no longer wanting to be one step behind literally! The new album might therefore come as a shock to all those that have been following Hypocrisy throughout the years. The ten tracks are all fiercely thrashing and biting statements of their new ‘Fuck-you-we-do-what-you-like’ attitude. For those that have been desperately hoping for a return to the old death metal era songs like ‘A Public Puppet’ (Pain’s industrial influences) and ‘Turn The page’ (hinting at the Sepultura –Chaos AD album, and even it’s nu-metal clones) will be really tough, maybe even unbreakable, nuts to crack.

The infectiously catchy melodic riffs and atmospheric passages, that characterized their breakthrough albums The Final Chapter and Hypocrisy, are still present. In some songs (‘Seeds of the Chosen One’ and ‘All Turns Black’) more obvious than in others (‘Destroyed’ and ‘Hatred’) but it’s clear that the band certainly hasn’t lost that ability. The main focus in their music has just shifted. On Catch 22 much room is given anger and raw aggression instead of melancholy and atmosphere resulting a modern metal record with distinct thrash influences. It takes some (and for others somewhat more..) adjusting time but you can only hail their refusal to compromise and to simply opt for a mere continuation of their highly successful Hypocrisy or Final Chapter albums. They not only forced themselves to break new grounds but also urged the fanatic of the band to broaden their horizons. Time will tell whether their fans are equally eager to open up their minds and welcome the new (and improved?) Hypocrisy. The first big test will be the upcoming No Mercy festivals.