In 2017, the international black metal band The Committee released Memorandum Occultus, one of my favorite albums as well as one of the most red-pilled metal albums ever made. They spoke of politics with a level of nuance and intelligence that few metal bands could hope to match. Three years later, they recorded a new album called Utopian Deception. That title brings to mind the ideologues throughout history who promised utopia but only delivered death and destruction. Even now there are those who promise to create a paradise on Earth. Their efforts are destined to have the same results.
Stylistically, the music has remained the same. They still play a dark and foreboding mixture of black metal and doom metal that sometimes includes other elements. The production still has that dark and slightly cloudy quality which gives off the impression that this was recorded in some sinister room where the global elite concoct their nefarious schemes. The drums still put on a performance that is both strong and diverse. For a large portion of the album they are slow and methodical, but they also pick up the pace and play intricate rhythms that include a large amount of rapid thumping double bass. They then take the time to play raging blast beats on songs like “Infection – Sensible”. The most powerful of these blast beats can be found at the end of “Ossification – Law”.
The vocal work remains fantastic. They still mainly consist of a harsh rasp that sound like they're issuing clandestine commands from the shadows. They are occasionally accompanied by excellent deep growls which further reinforce the dark and sinister atmosphere. Sometimes both vocal styles will be performed in unison, which makes the music project even more power. There are also certain moments when they will rapidly switch between these vocal styles, most notably on “Harrowing the Sane – Popularization”.
The guitars are still incredible. They mainly play tremolo riffs that have both a cold tone and melodic structure. The album is filled with moments of raging fury, such as those on “Lexi-Con – Radical”, and there is also that galloping palm-muted section on “Harrowing the Sane – Popularization”, but it's the melody that truly makes the whole thing memorable. Each song has their own unique melodic character, whether it be the slightly folkish quality of “Awakening – Unimaginable” or the desolate feeling of “Ashes – Norm”. Two tracks stood out to me the most. “Infection – Sensible” sounds dark yet epic, and the end of “Ossification – Law” has a crushing melody that is made even more overwhelming by the blast beats.
As with their previous album, the lyrical content is the most profound part. It speaks of the process by which the globalists have subverted and taken over the West. “Awakening – Unimaginable” shows the globalists crafting their plans to enslave humanity.
“Oblivious puppets shall sing and dance.
My silver rattles their purses.
Man made religion becomes my slave.
It does my bidding with loyalty.”
“Lexi-Con – Radical” shows how the globalists manipulate language to further their agenda.
“I sever long established roots, I prey on young and weak.
I offer poison inside new words. For those who seek.
Deliver me from truth. Deliver me from reason.
I am the master of euphemisms. Double standards prince.
...
Mind shatters, defenseless. With every breath.
New words, new meaning. Tremble before my wrath!”
One of the reasons why social justice, wokism, globohomo, or whatever else you want to call it has gained so much power is because they disguise their ideology in infinitely vague yet nice-sounding terms such as “equality” and “acceptance”. They use language as a weapon. They will change definitions on the fly in order to obtain more political power.
“Infection – Sensible” is about how the college kids who were brainwashed by their Marxist professors went out and spread their ideology to the public at large.
“Gushing blood, power in me. I gather forces, I groom them.
I feed them my poison.
Awaken my fiends, arise the wicked. Your time has come.
To scorch the minds. To breed disdain in masses.”
These ideologues attack the very foundations of Western civilization, and all the while, the masses are kept distracted.
“I leave the masses to their bidding. Those maggots wriggle in silence.
In vain, welded to their screens.
They swallow whole of truth. Extremists wage their wars on psyche,
On status quo. One percent is in control.”
One line that really stood out to me in this song was, “The change will come wrapped in emotions.” The emotional appeal is one of the most powerful psychological weapons of the globalists. They know the majority of people are far more predisposed to emotional thinking than any sort of purely rational thinking. They exploit this to bring even more of society under their control.
“Harrowing the Sane – Popularization” is about how the globalists use the media to propagate their ideas. Do you remember when movies and other media were about telling a good story? Now they're only used as propaganda tools.
“Play the film. Loose the keys. Puppets dance, rebranding disease.
No black or white, Only grey. My future; your decay.”
That line “No black or white, Only grey” shows the endgoal of globalism. They want to destroy all the unique cultures of the world and replace it with a single soulless corporate monoculture. They want to reduce all of humanity to atomized economic units whose sole purpose in life is to grow the GDP and consume products.
“Ossification – Law” shows the globalists enshrining their ideology into law.
“Battle has ended, prisoners taken. I fought until victorious end.
Armor and shield, now wool and silk. From sword to silver and pen.”
The laws are crafted and then promoted by the media, who also rewrite history and figuratively bury all remnants of the time before the new regime.
“My whores in need of short term fame. Plowing through heritage with words.
Logic and reason removed from ether. False prophets take the speaker's stand.”
Those who oppose the new order are crushed.
“In name of progress and futile fodder. Genocide waged by a stroke of a pen.
On demographic barren wastelands, I raise a toast to this world.”
The final song, “Ashes – Norm” is about how this new ideology has become the norm in society and all the old traditions have been destroyed. The line that hit me the hardest was, “Whatever you held sacred and dear, Became my willing slave.” I feel that way about the Western metal scene. It used to be the best metal scene in the world. Now it has become safe, soulless, and corporate. I'm sure gamers feel the same way about video games after GamerGate. Every hobby or interest we ever loved and took joy in was subverted, their souls were ripped from their bodies, and now they exist solely to do the bidding of multinational corporations and their armies of useful idiots.
Utopian Deception was an incredible album. After many repeat listens, it has become one of my favorite albums alongside Memorandum Occultus. The Committee has proven once again that they are one of the best bands that currently exist in the metal scene. Their lyrics are profound and they have the amazing musical skill to back it up. May other bands follow in their footsteps.