Dew-Scented Issue VI CD

One would probably expect a band named Dew-Scented to tread the gothic, ambient metal netherworld, but these Germans, in fact, specialize in neo-death metal/thrash of the most frantic and no-holds-barred stripe imaginable. Quite a spectacle to be heard, typically maniacal creations like "Processing Life," "Out of the Self" and "Vortex" race by at utterly blinding speeds and with almost super-human intensity; their onslaught characterized by Leif Jensen's possessed-sounding screams, Florian Müller's crunchy hyper-staccato riffing, and Uwe Werning's octopus-like precision drumming (no slouch himself, bassist Alexander Pahl hangs on for dear life!) And elsewhere, additional highlights like "Turn to Ash," "Bled Dry," and "In Defeat" contribute spidery melodic guitar lines for an even more dazzling, At the Gates-derived dimension to the fierce spectacle. Having said that, however, it takes a real glutton for speed to actually sit through and digest these dangerously repetitive blasts. Dew-Scented is both reckless and ballsy to stack them 12 deep, thereby far exceeding the unofficial half-hour limit imposed on such releases by Slayer's form-defining Reign in Blood decades prior, and most listeners may find themselves praying for a break in the action so they can collect their thoughts. But Issue VI offers no such respite -- slowing down for anything beyond the requisitely brief synthetic intro piece is out of the question -- and if you don't think the pace is insane enough to begin with, they throw a minute-long Zeke cover at the end for good measure. The end result is impressive enough, but truly for speed-freaks only. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia

Audio Mixer: Andy Classen .

Recording information: Stage One Studio, Buehne, Germany (02/2005).

Photographer: Friso Gentsch.

Dew-Scented: Leffe Jensen (vocals); Florian Mueller (guitars); Alexander Pahl (bass guitar); Uwe Werning (drums); Hendrik Bache.

Personnel: Hendrik Bache (guitar).