Above average death metal with melodic flourishes.
I admit that, when I first recieved 'The God That Never Was', seventh album by veteran Swedish death metal group Dismember, I wasn't actually bursting with enthusiasm. It might have been the laughable cover art (what looks like a futuristic space-Nazi from the fourth dimension, about to stab what I think is possibly meant to be Jesus), or the fact that the album's press release boasts of it's "REAL death metal" credentials. But when I put it into my CD player, expecting blandly heavy riffing overlaid with random growls, I was actually pleasantly surprised.
True, 'The God That Never Was' doesn't really offer much more than basic death metal, but Dismember do this very well indeed. While the heartwarmingly titled 'Shadows of the Mutilated' does include vocalist Matti Karki chanting "kill, kill, kill" somewhere just after the one minute mark, it also includes euphoric guitar riffing that's reminiscent of Iron Maiden at their best, but with a distinctive death metal edge.
Then there's the rapid, riff heavy intro to 'Phantoms (of the Oath)', which leads nicely into a melodic foray to the upper reaches of the fretboard, before switching back to typical death metal again. Then it does so again, several times. For all their presentation as "REAL" death metal, what with the parent-scaring moniker and the quite frankly silly song titles, Dismember actually provide a very melodic take on the genre, and are all the better for it. By the time the album reaches it's impressive conclusion with 'Where No Ghost is Holy', you can't help but be impressed. It's not breaking musical boundaries or changing the world, but when songs are as catchy as some of these are, who cares?
I guess this little listening experience proves that you can't judge a book, or more accuratly, a death metal album, by it's cover, no matter how ridiculous. I've no idea whether this is what longterm Dismember fans were hoping for from the band, but as far as I'm concerned at least, this was quite a treat for the ears. It might not be true that "as long as Dismember live, Death Metal will reign", as Regain Records would have us believe, but it is true that they can produce a solid and enjoyable album that, while stopping somewhat short of greatness, is a worthy CD of your hard earned pennies.