With so many acts jumping on the deathcore band wagon it is always a test for bands that have been plying their wares for a number of years to see if they can withstand the onslaught and preserve their longevity. TBDM fervently straddles the deathcore and modern tech death metal genres proudly as opening track “Black Valor” successfully combines the dual vocal attack with modern death metal leads that pack power and punch evenly. The brutality is intact with “Necropolis” disseminating intermittent blasts with clean lead passages. There is a certain niceness among the riffs and melodies, though the band rarely resorts to the slamming cliché to create bounce and accessibility but I forgave “Denounced, Disgraced” nod in this direction.
Noticeably TBDM pack each short maniacal tirade with numerous riffs and a rabid alternating schizophrenic vocal delivery. I favour a simpler approach, like on “Christ Deformed” just because I’m an old school death metaller but there’s no denying the violence of “Throne Of Lunacy” with its lunatic double kick blasting. As with most modern technical death metal the album does lack a memorable edge to it, an identifiable riff or a scorching lead to pick up your air guitar and swing that balding bonce to.
“Eyes Of Thousand” passed me by a little whereas “That Which Erodes The Tender” gave me hints of Unearth with its melodic tint on the riffs and its structure. Overall this is as good as any modern death metal album gets and with a huge tour coming up next year I suggest you give this band a serious listen and judge for yourself as not all modern death metal is down tuned slamcore or poncey clean metalcore.
http://www.myspace.com/blackdahliamurder
