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Dew-Scented: Invocation
14/09/10 || InquisitorGeneralis
Adam Jarvis, super-drummer deluxe from Misery Index, told me that Dew-Scented is currently on a ten-year ban from playing in the US due to some Visa shit a few years ago. Why is it that everyone else in the goddamn world can fucken get in here but my favorite death/thrash band can’t!? Aaaarrrrggggghhhhhh! Anyway, thankfully Dew-Scented is releasing new records to hold me over until I get my ass across the pond or the United States decides to unfuck itself in terms of artist/musician Visas. While the most recent “Incinerate” was a good record it paled in comparison to the dominating “Issue VI” and the dual beatdowns of “Impact” and “Inwards”. Nevertheless, I’ve had high hopes for “Invocation” and Lief and the Dewsters definitely do not disappoint.
It is fucken remarkable that after eighteen years and seven records that the Dew is putting out records this good. Like Bolt Thrower, Amon Amarth, and Unleashed they stick to an established style and formula but manage to make each album just different enough to stand on it’s own while retaining the band’s signature sound. I liked “Incinerate” but many saw it as sub-par. “Invocation” however gets the band back on track and rivals “Issue VI” as Dew-Drops best record to date. Dew-Scented does death-heavy thrash better than anyone else. Period. Don’t even mention the Dew in the same breath as retro-thrash shit like Municipal Waste and Toxic Holocaust. Those bands don’t even deserve to be in the same room as Dew-Scented’s dicks, let alone suck on them.
First off for all you production nerds out there, “Invocation” sounds fucken fantastic and the only flaw is a lack of definitive bass sound. The drums and guitars sound great and are played with gusto too. I am a huge fan of original dew-drummer Uwe Werning but Marc-Andrée Dieken (yo mouth!) really dominates the skins. While there is not too much hyper-speed blasting, there is tons of interesting time changes, double-bass work, and thrash groove to be found on “Invocation”. While Dew-Scented certainly stick to their successful formula of down-beat thrashing and machine-gun guitar and drum work there are several signs of creativity on progression on here that really add to the overall quality of the album. First and foremost is a clear and better use of two guitarists.
The best example of this is the quality solo on “Have mercy on us” and the beginning of “Arise from Decay” where rhythm guitarist Martin matches the stop/go pace of the kick drums while lead player Micheal kicks into to an actual lead riff! The quality guitar playing continues on “The Invocation” and “Artificial life” which both feature another good solos (three in one album? that’s new for the Dew) and monster breakdown riffs… something the Dew has been perfecting since “Inwards”. “Artificial life” also features a very cool beginning with more impressive combination drum and guitar work. The two instrumental intros “Downfall” and “Totem” are enjoyable and also reflect more creative, melodic guitar playing. “Downfall” is especially awesome and rivals Monstrosity’s killer “The fall of Eden” in terms of getting you ready for a massive beat down.
The album finishes strong also with “Slaves of Consent”, a longer track with multiple tempos and sections and slowed down, death influenced ending that is sure to inspire a massive amount of cranium beatings. Even Leif’s strained, constipated vocals are done well on here and while there are several points where he should shut up and let the band rock, I can not imagine anyone else on the mic…except for maybe Piotr from Vader. However, the world could not handle a band that awesome and its existence would shatter the fabric of space and time.
A little bit of repetitiveness is not the end of the world when what is being repeated totally fucken rules. “Invocation” has no weak tracks and might be the band’s best album. While I am an admitted Dew-Head I can admit when the band missteps (“Incinerate”) or just plain wasn’t that good (“Ill-Natured”). This, however, is a killer record with all of the aggression and heaviness you would expect from Dew-Scented along with a few new nuggets of creative joy. The musicianship is solid, especially the guitar and drum coordination. The production is top-notch. The Inquisitor is in extreme yet groovy death/thrash Nirvana. The world is going to hell in a handbasket (Israel, North Korea, the oil pit formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico, the Global Economy, etc etc) but throw this beast on and all will be ok for at least forty-five minutes or so.
- Information
- Released: 2010
- Label: Prosthetic
- Website: www.dew-scented.de
- Band
- Leif Jensen: vocals
- Michael Borchers: lead guitar
- Martin Walczak: rhythm guitar
- Alexander Pahl: bass
- Marc-Andrée Dieken: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Downfall
- 02. Arise From Decay
- 03. The Invocation
- 04. Have No Mercy On Us
- 05. Artificial Life
- 06. Condemnation
- 07. Totem
- 08. Torn To Shreds
- 09. Revel In Contempt
- 10. A Critical Mass
- 11. Global Hysteria
- 12. Slaves Of Consent
