ALBUM REVIEW: Initiation – Death Dealer Union
When drummer CC McKenna and guitarist Doug Weiand decided to join forces four years ago, little did they know what they would be getting into. After recruiting Elena Cataraga (best known for her work with Moldovan nu-metalcore outfit INFECTED RAIN under the guise of Lena Scissorhands), the nucleus of DEATH DEALER UNION was complete and the trio released singles Borderlines and Beneath The Surface later on in 2022. Now, with bassist Jonny Heinz and guitarist Hunter Havokk among their ranks, the quintet are set to unleash Initiation, their debut record via Napalm Records on Friday 22nd September.
With their two previous songs racking up over a million hits on YouTube between them, there’s definite expectation with Initiation, and the opening title track raises these in an instant, the sonorous and foreboding organs almost coming across like video game music just before one faces the final boss of the game. It segues into The Vow Of Silence, opening with Cataraga softly uttering “Cut the feelings to the bone” before a solid, trad-metal riff kicks in and the vocals change from melodious operatics to harsh screams almost on a whim.
There’s a lot of throwbacks to the 80s in Weiand and Havokk‘s guitar playing, from the MAIDEN chord progressions in The Big Blue to the all-out PRIEST attack that makes up the bulk of the previously released The Integument. However, the latter also contains a more sedate, ambient section featuring a well-placed solo that shows DEATH DEALER UNION‘s intentions to not just be a one-trick pony and instead incorporate much from the modern metal scene within their work.
And, it DOES work – there’s no swaying between extremes or clashes of style but a smart, well-controlled attempt to marry the past with the present. Critics might say the band are holding back and afraid to throw caution to the wind, yet their refusal to do so has worked out better than not. Tracks such as Ill Fated are well paced, stomping where the classic sound would gallop and taking inspiration from the symphonic metal scene with the layering on the vocals in the chorus, occasionally cut through the middle by Cataraga‘s unclean voicework.
The same holds true for The Downfall, which contains more symphonic elements with what appear to be keyboards and falls in line with a sound more commonly associated with the likes of DELAIN and EPICA. It isn’t a perfect record, however: neither Ekphrasis nor Back To Me are at quite the same level of impact, the former through hitting almost TOO many formulaic tropes, the latter due to weaker lyrics and a less appealing chorus, but these aside, there’s plenty to smile about as closing track Beyond Heaven draws to an end.
Debut albums, above all, should be a joyous and attention-grabbing call of “Hello! We are this band, this is what we sound like and you’re going to love us!“; DEATH DEALER UNION are giving that shout some serious welly. There’s a lot to enjoy on Initiation for fans of both the classic and modern tones that metal provides, whilst also showing how many directions they could feasibly go in on future releases. All in all, there’s a lot of potential here.
Rating: 7/10
Initiation is set for release on September 22nd via Napalm Records.
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