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September 3, 2010 |
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01. Pinhook
02. Rise
03. Bricks
04. Hate
05. Wounded
06. Cancer
07. The Saviour
08. Disbelief
09. New Skin
10. Re-Arrange
11. Turn
12. Bitter End
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CONSTRUCDEAD are a Swedish band who play pretty typical, by-the-numbers NWOSDM (for those who are just tuning in, that's New Wave Of Swedish Death Metal) ala SOILWORK/DARKANE-meets-Metalcore-meets-FEAR FACTORY style Heavy Metal. This is nothing new or surprising mind you as this ever-growing subgenre has quite literally exploded into it's own little mini 'scene' or 'trend' if you will within the last year. As a result, I've been receiving a lot of this sort of thing lately. A LOT. Don't get me wrong - I'm more than partial to the style/sound - but it is definitely getting to the point where if you were to blindfold me and spin random tracks from the plethora of discs in question...well let's just say I wouldn't likely be getting my 1st Prize ceramic dalmation at the end of that guessing game. Sorry, but that's just the way it is.
But enough mindless rambling. To the point; CONSTRUCDEAD have been around for awhile now, 1999 marking their inception into the big, scary world of Heavy Metal we all live in around these here parts. Weathering the usual lineup changes and various other sundry pitfalls and hurdles of a struggling band, they released several EP's and one full-length (2001’s 'Repent' on Cold Records) prior to their latest opus 'Violadead' and have played as support act for SOILWORK on said band's Japanese tour. The band (including guitarist Christian Erickson, drummer Erik Thyselius also of TERROR 2000, vocalist Peter Tuthill, bassist Johan Magnusson, and guitarist Rickard Dahlberg) really are all more than competent and talented players. The songs on offer on 'Violadead' are all solid, straight-up, no-B.S. NWOSDM with, as stated earlier, just enough of a U.S, FEAR FACTORY/East Coast Metalcore vibe added to keep things half interesting.
Riffs are to the point and hook-laden, and the crushing aggression of the tracks melds well with Tuthill's aggressive clean/growling vocal stylings. Some of the better tracks include pummeling opener 'Pinhook', 'Rise', the infectious 'The Saviour', and 'Disbelief'. I have a feeling these guys are probably pretty entertaining live. The problem is - as is the case with more and more bands of this type - though, that despite the obvious talent and conviction on display, the whole affair is just so 'been there/done that' derivative that I have trouble making myself still care by the time track 8 rolls cement-truck-like through my psyche, let alone by track 12 which is where this bludgeoning slab o' mosh finally ends. Again…it really is pretty decent. A definite golf-clap-worthy effort sure to make the more urbanized and wallet-chained amongst ye want to throw yourselves headlong into a pit of your choice.
But that's all this is. Good. Decent. I'm left once again with the feeling that there both could have, and should have been more to this. I really do wish more bands within this particular subgenre would put the extra effort into pushing the envelope a little further into more unique and interesting terrain. Here the obvious heavy SOILWORK/DARKANE/FEAR FACTORY influences are worn juuussst a tad too brightly and openly upon the band's collective black sleeve. The trick come next album I would advise, is to take such influences and evolve forward to the next, logical, creative plateau. Not to merely submerge oneself into the depths of said influences and then re-emerge as but a mere sum thereof. But hey...that's just my opinion.
Until then however, if you like your Metal mosh-worthy, just a little bit Hardcore, and very, very frozen and Swedish in flavour, you could do a lot worse than to check out CONSTRUCDEAD's 'Violadead'. It won't open your eyes to anything you haven't heard before, but for what it is, it's done pretty damn well. Pummel away!
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