Dam

The Difference Engine

Written by: PP on 23/12/2007 15:08:13

London death metal act Dam\'s new album \"The Difference Engine\" is described as an \"unpleasant morbid concoction of sounds\" on the promotional material that arrived with the record, confirming that this is an underground release geared towards the underground only, not a record meant to sell enough records to be highly profitable for a label. It is a record by a band that bolsters the credibility of Candlelight Records, a record that has the sound of an obscure cult band that\'s gonna end up on the reference list of a hundred reviews five years from now but on zero \"my favorite albums\" lists.

You see, being a cult act doesn\'t necessarily make Dam particularly fantastic. In fact, while their breed of doomishly slow tempo death metal isn\'t flat out text book material, it doesn\'t deviate much from the traditions of the genre: Brutally growling vocalist with occasional shrieks, lots of double pedal kickdrums and blast beats, and plenty of serpentine riffs are all to be found on the album.

Only when the band deviates from that formula do they become interesting; like how the album opens for instance. The gas pedal is flattened and speed is pushed to the absolute limits of the genre, creating a chaotic sound which is only held together by the remotely melodic lead guitar. When the band revisits this style in few of the other songs, their sound is at its strongest and most interesting. Although a Converge reference might sound a bit far-reaching here, that\'s the vibe that I get when listening to these passages.

In summary, Dam\'s \"The Difference Engine\" borrows a few elements from chaotic hardcore and merges them into the traditional death metal mold. With a few nods towards seminal acts like At The Gates and Carcass, \"The Difference Engine\" should be at least on the check out lists for most death metal enthusiasts. Others, I\'m not so sure.

6

Download: The Difference Engine, Mirror-Image Ritual
For the fans of: Carcass, Suffocation, At The Gates,
Listen: Myspace
Buy: iTunes

Release date 01.10.2007
Candlelight Records
Provided by Target ApS

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