DIMENSION ZERO
He Who Shall Not Bleed
CandlelightTrack listing:
01. He Who Shall Not Bleed
02. Unto Others
03. Paler Shade of White (A Darker Side of Black)
04. Hell Is Within
05. Red Dead Heat
06. I Can Hear the Dark
07. Going Deep
08. Is
09. Deny
10. Was
11. Way to Shine
12. Stayin' Alive
13. Rovarvisan
This'll be a short one, not only because this U.S. release of DIMENSION ZERO's third album is way after everyone else has already been to the party, but because DIMENSION ZERO does one thing and does it well — they play textbook Swedish thrash. It's fast, it's catchy, it's melodic with tasty riffs and plenty of thrash polka frenzy. It's not quite as zany and off-the-rails as TERROR 2000 (as long as we're talking side projects) but it's a little more loose 'n lethal than, say, the early IN FLAMES output.
In short, it's a fast, furious album that will change zero lives, but remains a lot of fun. The last two tracks are bonuses for the US version, and their amped-up cover of BEE GEES chestnut "Stayin' Alive" was almost worth the wait to get the album release on these shores. It's patently ridiculous, of course, but you'll be playing it for friends long after the rest of "He Who Shall Not Bleed" has faded into the occasional pleasant surprise in your random iPod shuffle.
Don't take the brevity of this review as a slight on DIMENSION ZERO. As the progenitors of the Swedish metal scene branch out into new directions, for better or for worse, the world needs stubborn side projects like DIMENSION ZERO to anchor the sound at its roots and provide new material for the "play old shit!" contingent. Again, you won't be shaken to the core of your beliefs by this one, but you will be thrashed — and when you get to track twelve, you'll probably laugh your ass off.