Language: English
Genre: Death Metal
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© 2015 Nuclear Blast
Review by Kip Wingerschmidt for Metal Sucks.net
We’ve likely all had the experience of telling someone outside of the scene that we listen to metal and receiving a less-than-forthcoming, perhaps even aghast response. And admittedly, maybe there should be some level of understanding afforded to laypeople uninitiated to heavy music who simply view metal as a one-dimensional genre of loudness.
But aggressive music can (and usually does) extend far beyond scary dudes blasting their guitars at top volume and a beastly frontperson screaming in your face about something of a dark Satanic ilk. Sure, to many of us these attributes are absolutely some of the most important components of heavy music, but for tons of metalheads the genre represents so much more diversity — both personally and musically, although I am talking about the latter at the moment.
However, there are plenty of bands that really do symbolize the stereotype un-heavy folks think of when they hear the word “metal”. And in many ways, perhaps these kinds of groups typify a more traditional and (dare I say) pure form of sonic aggression that will probably make us all want to throw devil’s horns in the air.
From the tracklist alone, it is obvious that these guys mean business in an undeniably tr00 metal sense. Song names like “They Came To Die,” “Let The Hammer Fly,” and of course “Welcome The Son Of Thor!” aren’t pretending for a second like they don’t have every intention of kicking your ass.
And naturally, they do. From opener “A New Day Will Rise” on, there is minimal respite from the full-on, brutal assault of uptempo, ultra-precise tech-death drumming and expert riffage/shreddy guitar soloing that will melt just about any face. No, this isn’t the smartest collection of tunes you’ll hear this year, but it certainly ain’t the dumbest either, and there is a tasteful simplicity to the album’s stripped-down songwriting.
Plus, the dark, dramatic yet earnest musings of
vocalist/bassist/band founder Johnny Hedlund somehow perfectly straddle
the line of being over-the-top while commanding your undivided attention
and respect (save for his almost spoken-word shennanigans on the
album’s title track, which falls a little further on the silliness end
of the spectrum).
Fun fact: Hedlund was almost the vocalist for Dave Grohl’s Probot project until the Grohlster (or his
tags: unleashed, dawn of the nine, 2015, flac,
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