DEW-SCENTED – “ICARUS”
METAL BLADE (2012)
Dew-Scented is a band that will forever stay in my memory as one of the first ever reviews I wrote back in 2003 was for the band’s then release “Impact”. Since then there have been numerous and constant changes in the band’s line up, the latest ‘wave’ of departures leaving vocalist Leif Jensen as the only surviving founding member. With much determination and complete focus on the task at hand, the tall frontman with one of the most characteristic voices in modern Thrash Metal recruited four new members early in the year and, with their assistance, released the band’s 9th studio album entitled “Icarus”.
Throughout the years, and irrespective of who was added to or removed from the group, Dew-Scented’s style and sound somehow managed to remain unaltered, however, I trust that you will agree with me that with 4/5 of the line up being new, there was a great chance of things not sounding the same anymore, right? Wrong! I am not sure how such a result was achieved but the eleven compositions that are featured in “Icarus” sound like the products of the same band that recorded albums like “Issue VI” (2005) and “Invocation” (2010) with one very important difference – this band sounds more fired up and motivated than ever!
From the opening harmonic themes of “Hubris” all the way to the Sodom-sounding riffs and the flamboyant solos of “Sworn To Obey” and the sing-along refrain of “Thrown To The Lions” the listener is subjected to a free-flowing dynamic stream that was clearly absent from the band’s most recent releases. “Storm Within” owes much gratitude to Bolt Thrower in terms of inspiration, “Gleaming Like Silver” choosing an alliance with Iced Earth instead, while the duet “By My Own Hand”/“The Fall Of Man” follow in the steps of the genre-defining musical overlords Slayer. More groove is infused in both “Reawakening” and “Destined To Collapse”, the blistering refrain of the latter being one of the highlights of the album, while the duet “A Final Procession”/”Perpetuated” provide a dynamic riff-orientated end to the proceedings.
Dew-Scented is a band that I always found myself naturally inclined to support as the style of music that they first chose twenty years ago happens to be my personal favourite, however, over the last few releases, a lack of focus and inspiration on their part resulted in me becoming more of a sympathiser for the band’s music rather than a supporter. What “Icarus” has managed to achieve is to restore that relationship to its old glorious parameters and that is the best compliment I can think of giving here. If you like your Thrash to be classic in its orientation but also fresh-sounding and dynamic you need not look any further!
John Stefanis
Rating: **** (4.0/5.0)
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