What we have here is a nice little surprise from Leicester, England. This band Dethonator, who formerly went with the name Kaleb since 2002 and recorded two demos, present their debut full length album. Okay, I might be an Anglophile, but I can assure you that that alone does not make a band or a release interesting.

What makes Dethonator interesting is the fact, that they have their own sound, even though there are a lot of influences included. The basis of their sound is heavy metal. It has been dragged through decades, and does sound somewhat modern. Dethonator possesses a certain British attribute, but they do not sound like Iron Maiden or Judas Priest, but more like Blaze Bailey's post-Maiden works. Well, the epic closer 'In the Place of the Skull' reminds me of Blaze era Maiden... But there's more to Dethonator. Modern influences aren't dissimilar to newer Annihilator, and a certain groove feel s present at times. There are some pretty thrashy influences to be heard, maybe even occasional Swedish bits in vein of Soilwork or Scar Symmetry, and from the other side of the spectrum, calm parts featuring a cello for example. This all cause Dethonator to be an energetic band, as well as their songs, too. The compositions aren't very straight, but offer many a part, but are pretty catchy or even very catchy, especially choruses. It's all well varying, but never stepping too far. Majority of the music was composed by brothers Adam and Tristan Lineker, with help from second guitarist Henry Brooks. When thinking about the band's name, I really don't hear any Megadeth in Dethonator.

The vocals are really dominating, meaning, that they are substantial. The voice of James Burton is pretty powerful, a tad guttural (not in death metal way!), and kind of unique. Some of lines sound close to Soilwork's Björn "Speed" Strid's clean singing. The voice is also a double-edged sword, because it is so different and "loud". Anyway, it's pretty wide, too. The growling heard on some of the songs is quite lame. Lyrical themes circle around the history of man: Pirates, wars, myths, religions for example.

The production is the biggest frailty of this album. It isn't very organic-sounding to tell the truth. Maybe the bass drums are too loud in the mix, and make me think of triggering. In general, the sound feels hollow up to point making it a bit scrambled at times.

Definitive "check these out" songs: 'Many Have Fallen' and 'Wreckers' (melodic yet powerful heavy metal roller coasters), 'Morbid Skies' (both melancholic and bad-ass tune), and the epic 'In the Place of the Skull'. There are no fillers on this release, so if you like those, then it's safe to put your money on this one. Hopefully we will hear more from Dethonator!

Rating: 7½ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
08/29/2012 18:54