Sweden Show The UK How It's Done...
Construcdead make no attempt to hide what their chosen genre is, but the difference here is that Construcdead season their traditional death metal with the sweetest hint of melody. It means that brutal tracks such as 'Pinhook' and 'Rise' remain merely heavy and don't become some form of death threat. Slick and polished till it shines, Violadead has been produced by Peter Wicher and in many respects it shares the same qualities of Soilwork's last album.
Whilst 'Bricks' begins with what must be the slowest pace for this band, its power gathers into a raging chorus, over which, softer vocals float like some kind of hellish demon. Guitars swirl, the bass pounds, and you're slowly choked by this volatile album as it transmutes into the speed of 'Hate'. Only a band from Europe would be able to marry melody with breakneck speed to make 'Hate' what it is. The ingredients to make this a hit are all present- speed, a chanting chorus designed for teenagers to sing along to and the morbid theme that will guarantee Construcdead will rise in the eyes of the British metal scene.
Both 'Wounded' and 'Cancer' have the kind of swing about them that's reminiscent of Spineshank's more melodic moments. 'Wounded' begins quietly before breaking into a full out scream-a-long chorus that will attract a wide range of listeners. 'Cancer' plays on much the same idea although it begins with a fast paced romp akin to the earlier songs on this album. By now though, the standard set up of melodic choruses set amidst chaos tires somewhat so the delicious guitar solo by Rick Dahlberg is a pleasant addition to a song which would otherwise blend into the rest of the album.
'The Saviour' is a straightforward plunge into viciously loud metal whilst 'Disbelief' reverts back to their tried and tested method of fast paced metal interspersed with melodic choruses. 'New Skin' is much the same and would still incite a riot if played to a large crowd of teenagers, but it all feels a little stale by this point.
Things pick up with 'Bitter End', which starts off slowly with pounding drums and chainsaw guitars. At 2.57 it's the easiest song on the album to listen to and also brings the album to a suitable close if you're listening to the standard album release. The input from Soilwork helps lift this song to one of the best tracks of the album. If you've got the Digipack version, you're blessed with the demo versions of 'Evil As I' and 'Inhuman Condition', which show just how slick the production of the rest of the album is.
This is a cleanly cut slab of gory melodic thrash that will appeal to a wider range of music fans that perhaps previously imagined. Yes, this is loud, but Construcdead understand the principles of making loud music listenable for those not as accustomed to sledgehammer riffs and furious battle cries and so Violadead is an album easily accessible and instantly likeable.