Mitochondrion: Archaeaeon (2008)

It seems like when this album was released Mitochondrion was something of an underground metal darling.  I vaguely recall seeing a lot of rave reviews about this album and the band in general.  I may be misremembering that, but I swear I remember that.  For whatever reason I never really got around to checking them out.  Until just recently when I came across this album.  Vaguely remembering the band's popularity, I gave it a shot.

Everything about this album is massive.  Not the least of that is the runtime or the lengths of the individual songs.  This is a very long release, but despite that, it never wavers in intensity.  And it is always interesting, partly due to the unconventional song structures and the inhumanly precise, industrial factory-style riffwork.  It can be a tad overwhelming at times and it is definitely not something to listen to passively.  There is a lot going on here and repeated listens are necessary to begin to unravel it all. 

Opening song "...Into the Pit of Babel" is a microcosm of the entire album.  Featuring alternating sections of pummeling brutality and spacey dissonance, the song is a mindfuck.  It sounds like an unholy concoction of Ulcerate and Bestial Warlust.

This album is something of a grower.  The first time I listened to it, I was not really all that impressed, but repeated listens have grabbed my attention.  Give it a chance to sink in.