:: Dew-Scented - Incinerate

Dew-Scented

When it comes to solid thrash/death metal in the vein of Slayer, The Haunted and Kreator, you simply can’t go past German outfit Dew-Scented. Over the course of six full-length albums, the band has consistently delivered time and time again, with 2005’s ‘Issue VI’ standing out as one of their strongest releases to date. Returning after a two-year hiatus, the five-piece act are back with their seventh effort ‘Incinerate’, and it’s everything you would expect from the long running German act. After gently easing listeners into the album with the opening minute long introduction piece ‘Exordium’, the band quickly get down to work in ferocious form with the thrashed ‘Vanish Away’. While it’s hardly what you would call original, ‘Vanish Away’ is a solid blackened thrash attack that will please fans to no end, with the alternating riff effects used a couple of times throughout the song to provide a bit of variation into the mix. ‘Final Warning’ manages to keep up the speed and intensity of the opener, while the single ‘That’s Why I Despise You’ is an obvious stand out with its huge chorus and Jensen’s scathing vocals. Another track that stands out amongst the pack with its catchy riffing and the effects placed on Jensen’s vocals is ‘The Fraud’, while the teaming up of Jensen with Kreator vocalist Mille Petrozza on ‘Retain The Scars’ is simply dynamic sounding. And the guest contributions don’t stop there either, as guitarists Jeff Waters (Annihilator) and Gus G. (Firewind) help out with solos on the equally impressive ‘Perdition For All’.

In terms of all out speed, Dew-Scented continue to deliver in spades on tracks such as ‘Aftermath’ and ‘Everything Undone’, while ‘Into The Arms Of Misery’, ‘Now Or Never’ and ‘Contradictions’ add a little more breathing space on the album with their mid-paced tempos. Much like ‘Issue VI’, ‘Incinerate’ features just enough variation to keep things interesting, but overall is more than destructive enough to deliver the all out blackened thrash assault that Dew-Scented are renown for. ‘Incinerate’ succeeds in achieving its prime objective, and that is to destroy everything in its path.