I wouldn't blame the remote location where Dienamic come from, which is Tromsø, Norway, for this sounding like an album released in early twenty-first century, by several different band. Meaning that maybe their record stores don't know about hottest trends in metal. Wait! Oops... but this kind of stuff is quite a bloody big thing again!

It can be heard, that these guys are just heavily influenced by both Scandinavian and US thrash metal-cum-metalcore. The bands that are more than easy to pick up from the sound of 'Afterlife', the second full-length album from Tromsø-thrashers, are The Haunted and Lamb Of God. And Pantera on 'Innocent Gun'. However, Dienamic do possess at least some individuality, but is little enough? I have to say that 'Afterlife' partly succeeds due to its songwriting. It certainly is nothing unheard of, but it's sometimes cool and catchy. Most of the songs include some kind of a hook or more. It's on the second half of the album, where ideas seem to have ended (especially songs number 8 and 9).

Hammering riffs meet more fluidy guitar playing, which often is open-stringed. Some lead guitar work reminds of newer Megadeth albums, so these guys aren't short on skills. Pounding bass and drums with loads of jerky tempos give this a strong backbone. I'm not a fan of jerky metalcore rhythms (mostly created on drums here), which aren't as tough as people think they are, so on that aspect this one is a miss for me. However, there are more thrashy songs included, like fine 'Revolution for Nothing'. It simply flows on way better. Hail to more blasting beats as well as straight double kick drumming! A bass-heavy 'You still Walk' is a welcomed slower song in the midway. Another slow one. the closer 'The End' is the album's most soulful piece, actually beautiful in its melancholy and frailty.

The vocals give the band a more individual feel for sure, but aren't very powerful on rougher, heavier parts. It cannot be called as roar for sure. Calmer, more melodically sung vocals have a tad "whiskey throat" feel to them, and it's far from note-perfect singing, but anyway they are very fitting and distinct. A lot of "thereabouts" vibration and balls to them. This voice is also used in more aggressive manner, only lifting up the originality. Generally, it sounds a bit like Machine Head's Robb Flynn, but not really... I told you it's characteristic, now didn't I?! The lyrics deal with real things, and vary between lame and good.

The production job is... well, as expected, heavy and clear. However, it also sounds surprisingly non-plastic. It is lively with a lot of frequencies covered. It really shows that the songs aren't that simplistic or vacuous at all. The cover artwork manages to be much more faceless than the music inside.

Time for the wrap-up, then. In the crammed world of thrashy metalcore, Dienamic are nothing too bad. At least they have something individual to them, which isn't common at all with most of the bands in this genre. I wouldn't mind if there was more of characteristic traits into them, though. 'Afterlife' is definitely above average, but still far from the greatest albums in this style. Come on, give it a try if you like the style!

Rating: 6½ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
07/17/2015 17:10