Artist: Dismember
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Release Date: 1995
Rating: 4 Skulls
|
|
Title: Massive Killing Capacity Artist: Dismember Label: Nuclear Blast Records Release Date: 1995 Rating: 4 Skulls |
|
|
|
||
Slither's Review:
Massive Killing Capacity is not, as many think, Dismember's weakest moment. It is in fact their finest moment overshadowed only by the monstrous creature that is Like an Everflowing Stream. For those not familiar with what Dismember embodies, imagine Bolt Thrower as a lumbering tank spewing destruction on the battlefield. Leading the charge ahead of that tank is Dismember, whose members comprise the berserker legions who, strapped with jetpacks, are leaping into battle with chain swords lusting for close combat. This release's artwork of a hulking war engine is fantastic and may as well have come from the front of a Games Workshop product. And from where I sit, anytime someone pens an album about war and destruction while pimping Warhammer 40k aesthetics in the process, you just know its gonna be good.The change in production values is readily apparent on this album when compared to the first two releases. The guitars have taken on a meatier tone that is thicker in the low end but also possesses a razor sharp clarity that was lacking on previous releases. Gone are the growls found on the early albums, replaced this time around by more of a shout akin to former Entombed vocalist Johnny Dordevic. The drum work this time around is not quite so busy, settling instead in a bit more of a rock based groove, resulting in what I like to think of as a more social atmosphere. Where the last two albums are more of a solitary listen, this one is great to throw on when the beer is flowing and your good friends are over.
While the deluge of bands that poured from Sunlight Studios all sport a similar tone, Dismember have always come across like a fucking chainsaw, and for me they are the perfect incarnation of the HM-2 pedal Swedish sound. On Massive Killing Capacity, their brutal tone is frequently interspersed with breakdowns and melody; and while this is certainly a divergence from the path started on the debut album, make no mistake: this melody is blistering, aggressive and used tastefully. Dismember expanded their sound on this release, they did not bandwagon jump to the watered-down pap that Gothenburg bands seem to love so much.
In my vast album collection, I own every major release by three bands. Bolt Thrower, Immolation, and Dismember. In some ways that makes me a fanboy, but at the same time it speaks volumes about the timeless quality of those three artists. Dismember have consistently released aggressive and raw death metal throughout their career and for that, they deserve nothing but praise.
[- Metal Judgment Home -] [- Email Metal Judgment -]
©1999 Metal Judgment. All rights reserved.