Customer Reviews

Issue VI

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

.... they have come a long way since their previous album.

At the time that "Impact" was released, I was in a Metal Music funk. I own just about all of the overseas Metal CD's from the most prominent bands and I've listened to them all at a minimum of 13 times. One day I walked into a Barnes and Noble while wearing a "The Haunted Made Me Do It" hoodie. One of the clerks there saw it and we struck up a metal conversation. It went to everything from Edge of Sanity to HateSphere and was very engaging. Little did we know, we had talked so long the store was about to close. As he and I parted ways, he said one last thing, "Hey, when you get home tonight. Look in to a band called Dew-Scented."

I did.

Their intensity struck me as the first thing I noticed from them. The songs sounded good from the 30-second samples and I went out and bought Impact the next day. Overall, it was a VERY standard thrash release. I mean, if early Slayer is an example of OUTSTANDING thrash, then Dew-Scented's "Impact" should be the no-thrills standard.

Unfortunately, that was the problem with "Impact". It was just very, bleh. The way one reviewer felt about "Issue VI" is the way I feel about "Impact". However, I wanted to give Dew-Scented another chance and I am happy to say that I did.

"Issue VI" is a big step up for these guys. In this album, they are starting to layer their songs better to give them a lasting appeal. I was really amazed to hear the first few tracks from this album. I knew it was Dew-Scented, but I couldn't BELIEVE it was Dew-Scented. Their sound is starting to grow and become multi-faceted and that makes for a very entertaining album.

I do recommend this if you want to give Dew-Scented another chance, want a new metal CD, or if you are already a fan of theirs but haven't bought this one yet.

to put it in a nut shell, i gave it 4 cuz this new singer could be better, i prefer the other one from their previous album wich in my opinion is a better album, and thrashier-buy that one first thats a straight 5!!
But this cd is good, technically and produced very well, guys can play extremely well, i doubt that thrash is ever mis-represented here...worth the purchase though..i enjoyed it..lyrics are a plus too!!!

Dew Scented sure have plenty of competition in the thrash scene today, but in this day and age, when 90 percent of all thrash bands are either melodic or hardcore influenced, albums like Dew Scented's latest, "Issue VI," pretty much stand alone. The group's sixth effort, and their third for Nuclear Blast Records, finds them competing with the likes of Sodom and Kreator for Germany's speed metal crown, and while they are still a notch below those bands, they are every bit as fast, potent, and promising as most groups from Deutschland.

"Issue VI" packs a powerful, persistent, pile-driving punch. It also thrashes with an intensity and energy which most bands wouldn't dare rival, so it kind of sounds fresh and new, like the genre is getting new life pumped into it. From wall to wall, this disc is an attack-the-jugular, hold-nothing-back thrash attack. The guitar leads are smokin', the guitarists aren't afraid to solo (they rip out at least one in every song), and the barked vocals are somewhat unique for this genre.

"Processing Life" begins the album with a bit of feedback before launching into a very strong, ultra-fast, almost blinding guitar lead and hammering drum beat. This song also features four back-to-back guitar solos. "Ruins Of Hope" augments thumping drums with blazing, bulldozing guitars, and the next track, "Out Of The Self," almost careens. Later on, "The Prison Of Reason" brings barnburning riffs and two nice, mazey solos; "Bled Dry" is an explosive, rapid fire onslaught; "In Defeat" features a catchy, punching, staccato rhythm and cracking drums; and, lastly, "Conceptual End" is driven by a scorching, rocketing maelstrom of whooshing guitars.

Darn near every second of "Issue VI" flies by without a moment of relief. The problem with this is by album's end, all the songs are plowing and grooving at almost the same speed, and thus, they become somewhat predictable. Nonetheless, this album is a satisfying thrash serving, and I think I smell a great band in the works here!

Here we have some more thrash metal that is actually exciting and uncompromising, and which manages to beat The Haunted at their own game. This is Dew Scented's 6th release, and it is noticeable how they've turned into a more energetic outfit. The proficiency of the playing is also impressive. Instead of conforming to the typical song structure, these guys use complex aggregations without being too technical. The guitar department finds a Slayer influence, but who hasn't been inspired by them? It's how you use that influence that earns you points. The twin guitar playing here is inventive; the riffs are bludgeoning without being exploitive, with plenty of hyperactive solos, while Uwe's drum patterns are intricate enough to make your eyes roll, adding a few blast beats when necessary. The only thing that I have mixed feelings for is vocalist Leif's style of shouting, which is more in the Lamb of God's pissed-off vein, but ultimately this style of thrash metal needs a complementing severe and hazardous vocal phrasing, so no big deal there. Overall, this is a satisfying release that will do its part in strengthening the thrash genre.

...but what's new?

OK, first off, if you want some straight ahead modern thrash in vein of Haunted or even Vader (though less death influenced) then Dew Scented are worth looking at. Despite their name (great name for a metal band by the way), they're pretty intense. Chunky riffs, fast drumming including the odd blast-beat and lots of solos. Sounds perfect right?

Here's the thing with Dew Scented - for anyone who's been listening to metal for a while but also listens to other types of music as well, they're a bit, well, bland really. There's nothing new here, nor is there anything so outstanding that makes it easy to avoid the fact that there's nothing new. Its well made and solid but its far from great. With all the other outstanding extreme metal out there, what would make you want to listen to this? Unless you like your metal with no frills and just straight ahead thrash (which a fair few people do, I guess), this isn't really worth looking at. Its not bad, but not being bad doesn't justify buying it over the plenty of great metal currently out there.

You want THRASH, you got it!!! For those of you who have purchased Dew Scented in the past, you know what I am talking about. The one or two "slow" songs (if you can call them that) are faster, heavier than just about anything out there. Dew Scented has a perfect blend of sound, vocal, music and production once again provided by Andy Classen and his Stage One studio. They are sometimes compared to Slayer but I don't see it. Their speed maybe but overall, DS is more creative and less monotonous than Slayer. The DS singers voice is better suited to this style of music than the high pitched Slayer voice. (I want to apologize in advance to all you Slayer lovers out there so you all don't start a riot. Remember, musical taste is "in the ear of the listener".)
Having given all the accolades, I do want to state that "Issue6" is the weaker of the last three releases. I would give "Inwards" 10 stars in a 5 star rating system. I would give "Impact" 9 stars out of a 5 star rating. And finally, "Issue 6" I would give a 7 stars out of a 5 star rating. Hoewever, "Issue 6" is still better than most any other thrash, bar none.
ONE WORD OF CAUTION: DO NOT PURCHASE ANY DS OLDER THAN INWARDS AS YOU WILL BE EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED.

Dew-Scented have made a serious impact on how I view and listen to metal. Before I listened to them, I heard comparisons about them sounding like The Haunted. Well, in my book, they blow The Haunted out of the water. This CD is setting new standards in thrash metal for the new millenium. The riffs are tight and sick. The drumming is awesome. The vocals match the music perfectly. I think this CD won't leave my player for a long time to come. If you like your thrash aggressive, pummeling, and vicious, I highly recommend this CD. Just be careful when putting this into your CD player, you might lose your fingers. L8r

Review by Tyler Wagnon:

Dew-Scented? Normally, a metal band's name should be intimidating, dark, or somewhat harsh in some nature. What is threatening about the scent of dew? What a terrible band name.

Anyway, Dew-Scented plays a mix of death and trash, heavy on the THRASH. However, aside from some pretty awesome time changes and drum fills, there isn't much to get excited about. The riffs and drumming are decent, the bass is ok etc. They aren't good, but they aren't bad either.

Specifically, they do the usual thrash picking patterns, including a couple of good tremolo runs and a few nice chugging riffs. The guitars really have a nice feel to them and vary between speedy runs and more mid-paced riffs. The drummer does some pretty fast double bass, but he doesn't really know when to let up and let his snare, toms, and cymbals do the talking.

Normally these guys would earn a 6 because they are slightly better than average at what they do, but their vocalist really rubs me the wrong way. He sounds really hoarse and throaty, which would be great in a metallic hardcore band, but doesn't quite fit what the band does.

Terrible band name or not, Dew-Scented plays some pretty decent death/thrash, so if you are into that sort of thing check them out.