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Shadow Music Ryan Harding Review by
Ryan Harding
Dismember
DISMEMBER: HATE CAMPAIGN
Nuclear Blast

Recently Terrorizer magazine commented on the career of DISMEMBER being somewhat "disappointing." Though the comparisons were always exaggerated, perhaps they confused DISMEMBER with ENTOMBED. At least DISMEMBER never stooped to being such annoying rock stars, and with HATE CAMPAIGN once more prove they were always the superior of the two. Despite unfounded rumors to the contrary in another 'zine, where you can't believe what you read, DISMEMBER hasn't relinquished their edge. Where anyone got this impression is about as mysterious as the disappearance of the Roanoke colony.

HC picks up where 1997's DEATH METAL left off, with crushing heaviness and swift tempos. Some line-up changes this time - Magnus Sahlgren now compliments the axe of David Blomqvist, and Mercyful Fate / Witchery /etc. bassist Sharlee D'Angelo stands in for Richard Cabeza. The core of DISMEMBER remains drummer Fred Estby and Blomqvist, so essentially nothing is lost.

The primary characteristic of this album is its relentless pace. Each song bleeds right into the next with hardly no space between them. Estby keeps an unassuming but inspired beat to the driven tempos of "Retaliate," "Enslaved to Bitterness," and "In Death's Cold Embrace."
Traditional Swedish melodic stylings surface especially in "Patrol 17," "Suicidal Revelations," and the aforementioned "Enslaved," though they are liberally used throughout. Vocalist Matti Karki wrote the music for "Mutual Animosity," very old school inspired Death Metal in the AUTOPSY vein (a staple of DISMEMBER to be found in some of their best moments).

The frantic pace subsides for this album's answer to "Mistweaver," the concluding title track. This is where D'Angelo's bass is most prominent. Proficient as they are with the thrashier tempos, they were never lacking for exceptional slower moments. They don't know the meaning of dull moment, and HATE blazes through its 34 minutes with highly satisfying conviction. The arguable misstep of MASSIVE KILLING CAPACITY seems fades further from memory. They've been worth following for their ten years, and HATE CAMPAIGN shows there will be more great things to come.

4 PERPLEX SKULLS

Perplex SkullPerplex SkullPerplex SkullPerplex Skull

This review copyright 2000 E.C.McMullen Jr.

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