Oakland California’s own All
Shall Parish maintains essentially an all American sound, but with a
definite fondness for the European metal especially. This is no more apparent
than on their latest album 'Awaken the Dreamers'. Musically, ‘Awaken
the Dreamers’ could be described as technical death metal-core. All
though 'Awaken the Dreamers' has its melodic moments, best showcased through
killer tracks such as ‘Memories of a Glass Sanctuary’ and '
The Ones We Left Behind'. Ultimately 'Awaken the Dreamers' is a brute force
unapologetic vicious album. Tracks like 'Stabbing to Purge Dissimulation'
and 'Gagged Bound Shelved and Forgotten' go for the jugular more often than
not on this album. Soon as the band set their sights on writing this record
just one question was on everyone's mind; could they possibly top ‘The
Price of Existence’? Yes they can and have! There's even a face melting
guitar solo from guitar hero Rusty Cooley on ‘From So Far Away.’
Vocalist Hernan Hermida proves once again why he was chosen to front All
Shall Perish, showcasing his earth shattering range. Lead guitarist Chris
Strorey seems to have single handedly brought melodic and shred guitar to
the genre, much as James Murphy (Death, Obituary) did for traditional death
metal in the early 90's. Ben Orum shows why he is one of metals most talented
riff writers today, going from super technical riffing to the most gut-wrenching
groove imaginable. Powerhouse drummer Matt Kuykendall is no slouch either
and will soon be ranked among extreme metal's elite players. 'Awaken the
Dreamers’ was produced and mixed once again by Zach Ohren who has
done amazing work with the likes of Decrepit Birth, Odious Mortem, and Light
This City. All Shall Parish… never one to record the same album twice,
has made yet another giant leap forward for themselves with this album.
All Shall Perish has proven with ‘Awaken the Dreamers’ that
they are no trend, and can only most accurately be described as trendsetters.
Grab your copy 'NOW'.
When Life Meant More...
Black Gold Reign
Never... Again
The Ones We Left Behind
Awaken the Dreamers
Memories of a Glass Sanctuary
Stabbing to Purge Dissimulation
Gagged, Bound, Shelved and Forgotten
Until the End
From So Far Away
Misery's Introduction
Songs for the Damned
Rating: 90
Reviewed By: Cameron Edney
- http://www.myspace.com/insideout666ints |
Second Review:
Awaken the Dreamers", the third full length
by Oakland's All
Shall Parish, is the band's most ambitious and diverse album to date.
In the past All Shall Perish was basically a brutal death core band, with
the emphasis clearly being on the death metal part of that equation. Subtly
incorporated bits of melody and solid lead guitar work has served them well
in the past, adding a bit more substance to their sound than many similar
bands.
With "Awaken The Dreamers", All Shall Perish have chosen to focus
more on melody and lead guitar, while adding some clean vocals into the
mix. Rather than shift focus completely, the band has chosen to continue
paying regular homage to their brutal roots by weaving just about every
type of breakdown you can think of into the album. Unfortunately, the result
is a somewhat unfocused stew of ideas that loses the listener as often as
it astounds. Breakdowns that would sound punishing on a death metal album
sound misplaced at times, while soft melodic sections that might work well
in another context take the steam out of several of the songs. Despite its
issues, "Awaken the Dreamers" is a decent album with several really
good songs and a multitude of good ideas. When everything falls into place,
the mixture of melody and brute force can be quite powerful, as songs like
'Black Gold Reign", "Stabbing to Purge Dissimilation" and
"When Life Meant More…" clearly demonstrate.
In the end you have to give them credit for trying to expand their sound
without forgetting the savage brutality that got them to this point. At
the same time, "Awaken the Dreamers" is clearly an example of
a band not playing to their strengths. Only a few bands are skilled enough
to succeed when so many different elements are this strongly represented
on an album, and in my opinion All Shall Perish are not quite there.
Rating: 75
Reviewed By: Garett F. |
