### Raised Fist: Dedication

#### 19/06/14 || Habakuk

The mind works in mysterious ways. Why else would I confuse these guys with pop-punkers Rise Against time and time again? Alright, two words in both bandnames, a notion of revolt and an R at the beginning – but come on, mind. There are lightyears between a pubescent urge to wear Converse sneakers (shoes are boring) and the unfiltered rage on display at Raised Fist’s.

Starting things off with “Get this right!”, the band prove right away that they understand the meaning of an exclamation mark. From the get-go all through the first minute, we basically get a neck and neck race between the drums and Mr. Hagman’s frantic vocals. “No holds barred” is a term specifically invented for this exact minute (look it up) and large parts of the remaining album as well.

Now, since the vocals have already been mentioned: they will be a decisive factor in whether you’ll enjoy this album or not. First of all because, well, listen for yourself. That tone isn’t exactly typical to metal-trained ears. Completely gimmickless in delivery, Hagman just screams his fucken lungs out as loudly and/or fast as possible. Even the midtempo numbers sound intense as Hell thanks to the guy. Secondly, the rest of the album is as close to metal as a hardcore album can become if it completely neglects double-bass and blast beats. Apart from this and the lack of solos, “Dedication” has what a metalhead can ask for: non-stop aggression, fuzzy bass, high speed, palm-muted shredding, stomping choruses, sawing, Swedish-sounding guitars… you name it really.

It all is arranged into mostly short bursts of full-frontal rage whose most intricate element are start/stop guitar patterns inserted into the vicious riffing barrage. It takes until the second-to-last song that an acoustic passage breaks the circle of speed and brutality, but just to remind me that intensity is the name of the game here, the closing track adds another vocalist (Gustav Jorde of Defleshed) to add even more metal to the mix. I get it guys, I get it: no more mix-ups with Rise Against!

- Information
- Released: 2002
- Label: Burning Heart Records
- Website: www.raisedfist.com
- Band
- Alexander “Alle” Hagman: vocals
- Marco Eronen: guitars
- Daniel Holmberg: guitars
- Andreas “Josse” Johansson: bass
- Oskar Karlsson: drums
- Örjan Örnkloo: guitars, samplings
- Gustav Jorde: guest vocals

- Tracklist
- 01. Get this right!
- 02. That’s why
- 03. Message beneath contempt
- 04. The people behind
- 05. Disable me
- 06. Killing revenues
- 07. Illustration of desperation
- 08. Dedication
- 09. Silence is the key
- 10. Another day
- 11. Between the demons