Dethalbum Review

I want to really love this album, but I can’t. I am a mixed bag about it, borderline disappointed. With this album, it seems that the formula that made Dethklok songs fun and amazing was abandoned (including sound levels). Why? I imagine it being the limitations of the musicians.

The first and number one obvious problem with this album VS. the TV show songs is the drummer. I am aware that for the Dethalbum they redid all the songs with a real drum kit, but at the sacrifice of songs integrity/bad ass-ness.

Just listen to how awkward Thunderhorse is compared to the original TV version. I guess if people weren’t playing this song on Guitar Hero 2 all the time, they might not notice too much, but the double bass is very limited.

What happened to the cool cool sounds of a blast double bass with accented hits? It was used in almost if not all Dethklok songs from the TV show and it has been replaced with… well listen. Even the drum fills, the few that are used, are very simple. I’m drilling into the drummer, because I know they could have found a more talented death metal drummer to at least mimic the TV versions and help brutalize (the good kind) the songs. I haven’t checked yet, but it also sounds like the tempo may have been slowed as well.

The album is also missing Skwisgaar’s solo that he was flying with the dragons to. (I’ll update this if I find it embedded in another song) The majority if not all the guitar riffs from the show are in here and thank god, but a lot of the new riffs created for the album and additional parts of existing songs can be rather boring. There are riffs that work, and a lot more that just feel like fillers.

At this point, I think they made it more “kid” friendly to help with “hot topic” element. The show is awesome and this album is fan service and could act as a good gateway album to get kiddies to listen to more metal…. so that’s cool.

Drums: 3/10

Might have worked if this was a 90s grunge album. A few blast beats.

Guitars: 8/10

Tight sound but little “airy”, good use of both guitars. Pretty solid.

Vocals: 6.5/10

No melody out of Nathen but does what he does well, backup vocals work well when needed. Hatredcopter had best use of vocals throwing who I assume is Pickles into the mix.

Solos: 8.5/10

All songs had guitar solos and they are fast, melodic, and impressive although there are a few that feel a little out of place. One drum solo/intro… it was weak.

Riffs: 6/10

Riffs from the show that we know and love are great. The rest… ehhh

Lyrics: 9/10

Brutal and Safe, Cool epic stories and fun concepts.

Bass: 10

Couldn’t pick out anything. The bass should be happy I at least score it when I can.

S:5/10

Very linear and short. Doesn’t take you to too many places. There are a couple exceptions, but just barely.

Effects: 8/10

I like the underwater whales, and bells and such. Have an eight.

Theme: 10/10

Most brutal band creates the most brutal album*. Epic stories.

(*album not that brutal)

I give Dethklok: Dethalbum a 64 out of 90.

I’ll keep listening and update the score if needed after more review.

Update:

Ok, so I had a chance to listen to the entire album and I am totally pissed off. The Dethalbum is not a Dethklok album. I’ve heard the songs on TV. We all have! These are not the songs. these are cover songs by a less talented band. This is not Dethklok, the most brutal and metal parody band ever. Just listen to Murdertrain for your best example. Apparently this cover band of sucky musicians especially the drummer. Couldn’t hack reproducing what Dethklok made. Do you hear the drums! They are insane on the show version of the song!

Pickles is the most bad ass double bassist ever, not the dipshit on this album. They even slowed the tempo! Thank god Dethklok isn’t real, because if I know anything about Dethklok they would have sued the shitty cover band, killed them, and then made a song about suing and killing cover bands who can’t compete. What I, and I’m sure everybody else wanted were songs by Dethklok in their entirety. Not songs a middle school Dethklok cover band recorded.

We want the brutal (even if unrealistic at times) sounds of Dethklok. So I am forced once again to search the internet for mp3s people have made of the show to listen to Dethklok songs if only Dethklok made an album. That would be bad ass. Shame on all of you!