In the last two years alone, death metal's new breed have made their presence felt to the point where one could even argue that _Heretic_ may well have been the band's swansong had it not lived up to expectations. The last efforts of Nile, Zyklon and even Morbid Angel alumnus, Eric Rutan's Hate Eternal, are prime examples of those upstarts who have come dangerously close to unseating the Tampa collective from their throne. Thus _Heretic_, almost as a matter of necessity, kicks into high gear immediately -- "Cleansed in Pestilence" presents a glorious cluster-bomb of blasts and polyrhythms, acting as a the veritable pulse beneath the thick wall of discordant guitar noise that has become Trey Azagthoth's signature over the course of the past two decades. "Enshrined by Grace" and "Beneath the Hollow" slow proceedings down for a few brief moments, only to have "Curse the Flesh" spew out the most venomous collection of riffs that the band have come up with for aeons, crushing any notion that Morbid Angel are retreading the slower, sometimes bland grooves of _Gateways to Annihilation_. But _Heretic_'s defining moments aren't found in the record's predominant brutality, however; rather by two instrumentals aired at the album's mid-time mark. "Place of Many Deaths" and "Abyssous" are urgent, atmospheric pieces -- affirming beyond a doubt the personal and introspective nature of the disc. Curiously, the ambience is broken by two technically brilliant, but undeniably out-of-place solos that conclude the album -- one an almost comedic drum check and the other a highly superfluous piece of guitar shredding. Then there's also the matter of the production techniques utilized on Steve Tucker's vocals: an ill-conceived combination of flange and chorus effects that only just falls short of undermining the usually stunning impact of one of the best death metal vocalists working in extreme music today. Whatever the weight of these criticisms though, _Heretic_ is a superb, confident testimony to the enduring legacy of Morbid Angel, even if it's not entirely flawless.