The seventh chapter in Morbid Angel's unfolding legacy, 2003's intensely brutal Heretic is a multi-layered, multi-dimensional album that provides an amazing glimpse into the minds of its creators. As always is the case with Morbid Angel, not only can you expect the unexpected but you can be sure that whatever they conjure up it will be immense. Such is the case with Heretic, where, stripped to a three piece, primal rage and unerring precision combine to slaughter the competition. Equal parts homage to the past (especially on "Stricken Arise," harking back to the halcyon days of Altars of Madness) and a brave new world (the up tempo war dance of "Enshrine By Grace"), this album is perhaps more focused than Formulas Fatal to the Flesh and less sludge-infested than Gateways to Annihilation.