Come on! Wait! How can you start your new album like this? With so much energy and power from the first second? This question came up when listening to Dictated. The three-minute "Hypso" opens their "Phobos" album and the thunder guitars, the rhythm section with constant rhythm changes from the drums and the chaotic partially deep growling vocals from different singing style (guest vocalist here is Julien Truchan of Benighted) show only one thing: Perfect start!
“Fear will consume you whole. Suffer from it and be forever blind”. Let's get into the brutal death metal world of Dictated from the Netherlands (the country that proudly gave us Pestilence) and their third album "Phobos". The band was formed by two guitarists Jessica Otten and Sonja Schuringa about ten years ago and their previous release was called "The Deceived" on Metal Blade Records. Today they are reborn with a stunningly beautiful aesthetic album cover to accompany the black set of 11 stories of fear.
Around this concept, Dictated uses Greek-rooted titles and create a set that stands proudly next to extreme metal bands like Dying Fetus, Suffocation and Nile. At the same time they give a refreshing air to the old school extreme death metal scene with very clean production, nothing negative in it, and continuous top-notch band playing.
"Hypso" and "Thalasso" open Dictated's new work and are the best introduction and demonstration of the forces of this tight-knit band. This album revolves around the concept of fear. It contains 11 cases, such as the fear of height that is a true story of bassist Koen, or the case of being buried alive by the singer York. On the other hand Jessica (guitars / bass in concerts) describes the fear of creating small holes in the body from insects and germs! A phobia that even google ignores!
You will surely find a title to fit your deepest fear! Thalassophobia? Linguistics? Disinfection? Awesome stories based on real phobias! Like "Taphe" fourth fear in the series and the most successful, with dialogue quotes like being a patient and getting ready to kick you into an open hole! To bury you alive! You don't want it ... The drums beat to keep you on the surface, you scream ...
"Chira" for five minutes of blast beats and growling as you struggle to understand the lyrics and look around you, being careful not to touch unknown hands! The story of Icarus and the fall from the sky to the infinity of the sea. “Apeiro” in the middle of the album, an epic moment when the band teaches how to connect a simple, oriental riff with death metal rhythm and chorus vocals at closing. “Glosso” is an instrumental pass as opposed to what its title means. This leads to the last three tracks of the album, which are all highlights.
With "Trypo" you look at your scarf body as York Keijzer gives a recital over evil villains who stalk him. Where did the “Athaza Gora” come from? “Remembering the reason for this pure agony. It comes and goes, it leaves and grows.” The 45 minutes of “Phobos” are completed with “Atychi”. An acrobatic exercise of the five Dutchmen (3 men and 2 women actually!) for fear of rejection and failure. So they are reborn and present a complete work, modern and not at all tired for our ears!
Dictated have ideas and transform them into action. The plus is the presence of two women as guitarists and not on vocals such as the modern trend in metal scene. Professional-made release, well produced and worthy to win the attention of the public and put them in a good position in the releases of this year.
Βαθμολογία: 90/100
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Δημήτρης Τσιρώνης
Ημερομηνία δημοσίευσης: 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2019
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