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There was a lot of excitement for this album, as this was the first Morbid Angel work to feature classic lineup vocalist David Vincent since the ill-fated Domination disc from 1995 and the Entangled in Chaos live album from the following year, so after fifteen years, the band's classic crew was back together and everyone hoped that the crap festooning the self-indulgent Heretic would be a thing of the past. Silly to think that, but metal fans are nothing if not optimistic.

Illud Divinum Insanus is without question the worst shit Morbid Angel have ever produced - yes, even worse than the self-fellating felchpile of Heretic. As bad as that album was, I would rather hear it on continuous repeat than ever listen to this bullshit again. This album plays like Morbid Angel think the 90's trend of 'modern' metal is the be-all end-all of songwriting. Every song here is made up of idiotic groove riffing, computerized drum loops, and vocals washed through so many effects they make Fear Factory sound restrained. Even Azagthoth's much-touted leadwork is pro-tools mashed to the point where it sounds like it was played on a keyboard, not to mention that the leads themselves are hackneyed and dull, without any of the insane atonal flailing of his younger days. David Vincent sounds so awful on this it is criminal, and the mix favors his vocals like this was a pop record, leaving the digitized guitar sound well in the background. I'd say that's a mercy, but really, any part of this album is painful, and sacrificing one sound to emphasize another does no one any favors.

You can go read Metal-Archives reviews that will dissect each and every song on this disc and why they suck in far more detail than I have the heart to, or that they deserve. Needless to say if you are a fan of Death Metal, or of Morbid Angel's glory years of 20 years ago, this album will cause you nothing but pain and revulsion. This is so bad you almost can't comprehend it unless you have actually heard it.