Some people are often too busy laughing at the ridiculous music videos and comedic novelty of the animated series Metalocolypse to realise that Dethklok are actually a great band. Nearly every metal fan is familiar with the archetypal members of Dethklok, yet Dethalbum III may well shift attention away from the characters to rest more on the music and Brendon Small's talents.
Each song on this album has its own unique sound which ties in with a different lyrical theme, some of these have already been animated into some highly entertaining videos which you can watch below. 'Galaxy' sounds exactly how you'd expect space themed metal to sound, with processed bloopy guitars wavering over Heavy Metal-esque drumming and riffs. The album begins with the unforgettable 'I Ejaculate Fire', a meticulously well put together song that at certain moments contains elements of groove which reappear throughout the album. Naturally Nathan Explosion's lyrical genius shines here as it does throughout the album with such utterances as "fear the splattering, acidic de-mattering".
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W35dyPTh6o[/youtube]
'Starved' sounds like Meshuggah in twenty years time due to a monstrous disjointed riff that just doesn't last long enough. 'Killstardo Abominate' is much thrashier and faster with intermittent blastbeats and the occasional halting march through a chorus. The guitar solo in 'Ghostqueen' will make you want to teleport into the 80's and 'Impeach God' really does sound like a testosterone fuelled challenge great enough to anger a god. Rejoin is a strong closing song, drawing on all the elements of the preceding songs to showcase the prowess of Brendon Small's ability to create a sound filled with variety and strong riffs.
The production on this album is luxurious and gives the guitar tone a sumptuous quality. Nathan Explosion/Brendan Small's vocals are powerful and easy to understand growls that sound much clearer than most death metal acts. Gene Hoglan's drumming is creative and not at all repetitive, driving the music and interacting quite well with the guitars. There are some really diverse sounds in this album, each song is as strong as the next and you'll keep coming back to them only to hear some extra little details in the mix. Watching these songs come to life in the animated series will no doubt be even more entertaining.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO-wDK-phI0&feature=related[/youtube]
