Dethklok - Dethalbum II Review

Posted by Ben Czajkowski on 09.30.2009

Dethklok's Dethalbum II seeks to pick up where its predecessor left off: leaving you headbanging and blood-thirsty for more. 411Music's Ben Czajkowski has all the details.

 

01. "Bloodlines" (from "Dethcarraldo") - 3:30
02. "The Gears" (from "Dethsources") - 4:21
03. "Burn the Earth" (from "Dethvengeance") - 3:59
04. "Laser Cannon Deth Sentence" (from "Dethecution") - 4:35
05. "Black Fire Upon Us" (from "Dethrelease", AKA "Black Fire Upon Us") - 5:40
06. "Deth Support" (from "The Revengencers", AKA "Sicklok") - 2:42
07. "The Cyborg Slayers" (Original) - 4:16
08. "I Tamper with the Evidence at the Murder Site of Odin" (from "Dethlessons") - 4:30
09. "Murmaider II: The Water God" (Original) - 5:43
10. "Comet Song" (from "P.R. Klok", AKA "P.R. Pickles") - 3:48
11. "Symmetry" (from "Dethfashion") - 4:31
12. "Volcano" (from "Dethdoubles") - 4:18

They bless your skin. They bless you with their mark. They implore you, "Become a part of the Klok. Become a Gear." And when this album is over, you will be.

Through brutality.

From start to finish, Dethalbum II reaches its fingers into your mouth, grabs your face by the lower part of your jaw, and repeatedly bashes your face off your car's dashboard or your parents' basement cement foundation wall. Only when the CD ends after 57 minutes of pillaging, you realize you've been smashing your face because of how hard you were head banging. With this album, Dethklok proves that they are not a fictional band anymore, if they ever were to begin with. Yeah, they started as the comical, yet lovable central focus of Metalocalypse, but since then, they have evolved into something well beyond that. Brendon Small and company have given birth into the Spinal Tap for a new generation. Only it's not a baby; it's a raging three headed demon fetus with claws and a spiked head that shreds an axe in one fist and eradicates your soul with the other.

From the very moment this album opens with "Bloodlines", you will notice the clear fruition of Dethklok. Forget what you've seen on Cartoon Network in seasons 1 and 2. Forget Williams Street. This is more Nightmare on Elm Street with how vicious and haunting it is. Small's vocals are altered in such a way that made me immediately sit up and take notice. The instrumentals are foreboding in a way that nothing that harmonious should be. And, what the hell? Is that a harpsichord in there, too?!

 

Dethklok is no longer simply the harsh whisper that was implemented in the first album; no, the need has changed; the urge has grown. Small has better control of what he is doing vocally, now, and he's not afraid to use it.  Gene Hoglan earns his name as the "Atomic Clock" with the absolutely sick drumkit work and challenging tempos. What about guitars, bass, and keyboard? Oh yeah, that's all Small, too. Except for on "The Gears". How talented is this guy?

"Black Fire Upon Us" opens with the amazing instrumentals the same way "Go Into The Water" does: long, chilling. Only it takes it a step further with just epic the track becomes. As my face melted under the black fire, I realized just how hooked I was/am on this album.

 

Looking for a quick starting highlight in a black cesspool of blood and guts? Start with "Murmaider II: The Water God;" keep this in mind that it's not the only highlight. "Murmaider" is one of my favorite tracks from Dethalbum, so I was quickly curious to see how Small could write an obvious sequel to it. Will you immediately recognize the opening riffs? Check. Lyrical motifs? Check. Structure? Check. The best part about the song? It trudges on for almost six minutes, nearly twice the length of the first one. But "your life has transformed/your powers have grown." And what Small and Hoglan do at the 4:23 mark...I wish I could describe it to you. Through all the metal I have taken in over the years, this practically renders me speechless.

 

The only glaring oversight that I saw on the album is that there really isn't a track that demonstrates the dark humor of the band. Dethalbum saw tracks like "Fansong" and "Birthday Dethday". The closest that II has is what I've dubbed the "Pew Pew" song, "Laser Cannon Deth Sentence" which sees Nathan Explosion chanting "deh-deh-deh-deh-deh-deh-deh-die!" over and over, which is reminiscent of a firing laser gun, hence the "pew pew". Yeah, internet memes can't escape even me.

My overall, lasting impressions is how pleased I am that Dethalbum II didn't feel like a gimmick or a cheap, cash-in sequel to Dethalbum. My expectations were high (and I know I'm not alone), especially after how much attention I gave to the debut disc. Not only were they met, but exceeded and all of my doubts quelled.

And the best part: A "cartoon" makes better death metal than 99% of the "real" bands out there.

Best tracks:
"The Gears", "Bloodlines", "Murmaider II: The Water God"

"I'm a grower, not a show-er":
"Laser Cannon Deth Sentence", "Burn the Earth"

The 411: It's hard to find fault with such a black gem like Dethalbum II. Brendon Small has nothing left to prove. Dethklok is the real thing, and this album will blow your mind and your eardrums, as cliche as that sounds. It's almost one hour of some of the most brutally eviscerating lyrics and instrumentals to ever be recorded. If there is one album this year you consider actually buying, make it this one. You won't find one better than this.

Final Score:  9.5   [  Amazing ]