More metal muscle from Sweden, this time from veteran band Dispatched, who have uncorked a real winner here on their fourth full-length release Terrorizer. Produced by none other than In Flames vocalist Anders Friden, Terrorizer is a groovy platter of melodic death metal, bubbling with sumptuous melodies, crushing guitars, raging vocals, and plenty of progressive sounding keyboards, flutes, and bagpipes.
Check out the symphonic "Rebellion" for a taste of what Dispatched is all about. Fredrik Karlsson's vocals are raw and forceful, much like Friden's or even Alexi Lieho's from Children of Bodom, and add a black metal feel to the track. But it is the heaping amount of keyboards, flute, and bagpipe that add a neat proggy/folk feel to the song and make it so unique sounding. Speedy power metal is all the rage on "Wicked Dreams", a heavy number fueled by manic double bass drums and nasty power chords, while "Beneath the World of Chaos" perfectly bridges the gap between melodic death and black metal, with screeching vocals, technical guitar playing, and a thrashy arrangement.
There's some engaging & catchy prog-metal on the orchestral , but ultimately too brief instrumental "Override" (once again featuring wonderful flute courtesy of guest musician Par Fura), and the band even goes into Dream Theater territory on the technical dirge of "Mechanical". This instrumental piece combines ultra-heavy riffs, with complex electric guitar passages, intricate & deft acoustic work, and plenty of keyboards. However, most listeners will love the Gothenburg sounds of "Cyber", a brutal yet symphonic slice of melodic death metal that also has some wild futuristic vocal effects splattered in for good measure.
This CD surprised the hell out of me, and it's obvious that Dispatched want to play with the big boys like Dark Tranquility, In Flames, Soilwork, Hypocrisy, Dimmu Borgir, Bjorknagar, and Children of Bodom. Seeing as there are three kick ass instrumentals on the album, plus an assortment of varied instrumentation, should endear Terrorizer to the prog-metal community as well as the obvious melo-death crowd. Recommended!
Track Listing
1. Terrorizer (5:59)
2. Rebellion (5:17)
3. Wicked Dreams (4:20)
4. Beneath The World Of Chaos (5:25)
5. Waste Some Steel (3:45)
6. Override (2:19)
7. Mechanical (6:05)
8. I Am Thy Lord (4:06)
9. Cyber (6:10)
10. Under The Ice (5:25)
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