BROTHER VON DOOM’S RELENTLESS IS A DAMN FINE DEBUT
Most of you have probably never heard of Brother Von Doom. I know this because there is absolutely no way a band with such a sweet ass name could have escaped your recognition, and, furthermore, anyone who has heard Relentless would have had to be flapping their mouth to everyone about it. They’re straight outta Dayton, OH, and ready to drive a ten-inch carpentry nail into your earlobe and make you say their name, so you’d best smarten up to this damn fine debut.
Though their moniker might have you thinking they’re stoned 50 bpm Sabbath plagiarists, rest assured that there is only one thing on the menu here: swift, melodic death metal served Swedish style and extra spicy. Let me make my own thoughts clear by saying its been a long time since I’ve been this impressed with such a straight-forward metal record. Even though these boys have obviously been listening to the same regimen of European bands that American bands have been ripping off since the early naughties (check out the At the Gates drumming), they manage to deliver with such an outstanding combination of honest performance and tight musicianship that it feels exhilarating instead of cliché.
Just take a gander at the song titles: “Eater of Days,” “Coffins of the Cursed,” “Echoes of the Undead,” “Norse Demise” (my favorite). Do you need any more proof of how metal this album is? Sounds pretty brutal, right? Even though every song is fast and heavy, they manage to be simultaneously uplifting, even positive, without sounding like a bunch of sissies and without changing the excellent harsh vocal delivery (which, dare I say, is more American than the rest of their sound). Complimenting the harmonized guitar riffing are some tasteful solos and leads that help to smooth out the edges and make a few of the songs more memorable upon repeat listens. While many of the songs don’t stand out much from the next, the quality and tone are consistent throughout and the grand finale “Blood of the Betrayer” is particularly satisfying.
Brother Von Doom have no ambition to change the face of metal; their one goal is to deliver heavy-like-concrete melo-death to the masses. Ignore all that old, fad-chasing metalcore and be impressed at what a two-year-old band can release. If you’re still sour over Light This City breaking up, you’re still waiting for the next Black Dahlia Murder to drop, and if the newest Arsis wasn’t enough to slake your blood thirst, grab hold of Relentless say hello to your new brother.
(4 horns out of 5)
-DBR
