DAWN OF DEMISE

"Hate Takes its Form" from Denmark's DAWN OF DEMISE is a refreshing take on death metal. It is an example of understanding that "heavy" does not only mean relentless blasting, inhuman speed, or over the top technicality. The band takes a modern, groovy and violent approach with a lot of mid-tempo sections and bulldozing low-end pummel and mixes in a little SKINLESS and a less technical SUFFOCATION. An astoundingly good production from the band (mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen) gives the album a gargantuan punch and brings out the clarity of the instruments.

The first quality that immediately jumps to the forefront is the colossal vocals of Scott Jensen. He moves effortlessly from a Frank Mullen gurgle-growl to a Jens Kidman (MESHUGGAH) monstrous bark and each of his patterns fit the songs splendidly. Then it's a matter of rhythms and riffs that crush the innocents and loom over the listener like Godzilla destroying Tokyo. The act is rather adept at riding those leaden grooves for all their worth and makes sure that every changeup has its place. Everything is written to enhance the song and that includes guitar solos that are full of feeling and offer a grand juxtaposition to the impossibly heavy riffs. DAWN OF DEMISE also take care to put just enough tunefulness into the tracks, assuring that the listener will be back for additional spins. One song that is especially worth pointing out is "Beyond Murder", which features a MESHUGGAH-esque time signature that is very well written. Spicing up the affair are guest vocal appearances from HATESPHERE's Jacob Bredahl on "Hate Takes its Form" and KOLDBORN's Lars Bjurn-Hansen on "Domestic Slaughter".

Kudos to Deepsend for being one of those labels that takes its time and releases only quality death metal albums, and that includes the new release from EMBRYONIC DEVOURMENT, "Fear of Reality Exceeds Fantasy". DAWN OF DEMISE's new disc is a pleasant surprise and an album that is as brutal as anything released this year, yet brutal in a way that has nothing to do with the million-notes-a-minute crowd. Songwriting is never sacrificed for unhinged savageness. Highly recommended.