Hail the kings of thrash metal! 20 years on, here’s the German band’s 9th album. The epicentre of Dew Scented is Leif Jensen, who I first met in 2005 during their tour with Mercenary and Nevermore. A great guy and consummate professional, this guy knows how to organise a band. The next time I met him, the band line-up had completely changed but the sound was the same. Now in 2012, the line-up has changed again. It is documented that the new members, notably Martin Vriesde of Severe Torture, have injected new life and ideas while not disturbing the core principles of Dew Scented. Both statements are true. On “Icarus” there is a rumbling undercurrent which I don’t recall from previous works. At the same time this is Dew Scented. Like Amon Amarth or Status Quo you know exactly what you’re going to get. Yet like those other bands, I can pick out individual tracks. A concert without “Cities of the Dead” would be a disappointment. Nevertheless, I walked into the latest of the long list of albums beginning with the letter “I” expecting solid thrash metal and nothing more.
The bombastic beginning is not typical but it’s short and then Go! All hell is let loose for the next 40 odd minutes. A roaring riff runs through “Sworn to Obey”. The drummer is under the usual orders to play fast and hard. Leif exercises his ample lungs and sounds as ever as if a throat sweet or two might be handy later on. Here is initial warning that our necks will go stiff. The backbone is the rumbling riff. “Sworn to Obey” is controlled well as the track changes shape with a guitar solo and reflective (ok, slightly less frenetic than usual) section. There are more breaks than I remember from before. This breathless track reaches a sudden end and after a big roar, we’re off again with “Thrown to the Lions”. The guitar once again strikes an imposing rhythm as the power and self-made energy continue. The anthemic chorus could suggest triteness but this is a carefully constructed piece of thrash metal, built on a subtle rhythm to go with the fireworks. It’s all like a war out there. “Gleaming Like Silver” is pure movement and excitement. It typically pounds through the head but also deeply and darkly slithers along like a snake. Never staying constant, it eventually works its way back to the main riff. This track proves that Dew Scented’s output is not single phase. The blend of ingredients is impressive. Moreover, these are good songs, pumping and uncompromising and designed to get into your head. The fire and passion continue with “By My Own Hand”, which comes from more classic thrash metal territory. The race is on as the track drives forward and we are cajoled into relentless headbanging. “The Fall of Man” stands at the heart of the album. It is noisy, imposing and magnetic. The rhythm is engaging.
The highlight track of this album is “Reawakening”. A bit like the earlier “Storm Within” and the appropriately titled “The Final Procession” later on the album, it conveys the image of a hunter seeking and tracking down his prey. A little extra which makes this track different is the appearance of Dan Swanö as a guest vocalist. The deep riff once again goes through your bones. It is uncompromising. By contrast, “Destined to Collapse” is more technical and guarantees a good balance of tracks. It’s still fast, hard and fluid. “Perpetuated” provides a fitting end. Power comes from all angles. There’s a combination of technical work and adrenaline-pumping thrash metal. It stops. We can take breath once more.
Leif and his new band mates here prove their commitment to sophisticated thrash metal. There’s plenty of evidence of a more technical range than the earlier works. The door is as always opened wide for us to come in and get a stiff neck for our troubles. Let me sum up “Icarus”: new input, more subtle style, lashings of aggression, great structures, refreshing melodies, good honest thrash metal, great album. Love it.
(8.5 / 10 Andrew Doherty)
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