DEAD ASYLUM - Death Always Wins

May 24, 2017, 6 years ago

(Self-Released)

Jason Deaville

Rating: 8.5

review black death dead asylum

DEAD ASYLUM - Death Always Wins

What happens when Gothenburg, Sweden comes to Canada? Pure fucking metal mayhem... that's what! I mean, it's a given - both Sweden and Canada have literally paved the molten path of metal over the past thirty or so years. Without the contributions of these two countries, well, the world of metal would certainly be a far less interesting place. Of course, being Canadian, I suppose I'm kinda biased as it relates to the wonders of my beloved country. I'd choose Exciter over In Flames any day. I'd be far more inclined to throw on a Gorguts album over, say, an Entombed album. Canada is just better. Devin Townsend - need I say more? This is certainly not the case 100% of the time. To Sweden's credit, I'd definitely jam some Marduk over Anciients. As you can see, it can definitely go both ways.

So, it's with great enthusiasm when we are presented with homegrown talent that combines the best of these two great nations. Straight outta "Super, Natural, British Columbia" - the land of mountains, valleys, and hipsters - comes Dead Asylum. If it weren't for both those Pacific province accents and the unmistakable trademark that is the Canadian thrash riff, Dead Asylum could very well be mistaken for mid-to-late ‘90s Swedish melodic death metal.

Their latest sophomore effort, Death Always Wins, set to release on June 2nd, takes the indisputable melo-death elements of the Gothenburg sound yet adds a unique twist that sees a healthy dose of technical thrash intertwined with anthemic riffing - a combination that is sure to get every horn in the air. Of particular note is the drumming of Samantha Landa, who previously lent her percussive talents to Napalm Records recording artists, Nervosa. Samantha's hard-driving, thunderous rhythms literally tear-open the fabric of time, sucking the life and light from every living thing, casting a darkness and malevolence onto each of the album's eight tracks. Impressive.

Adding to the darkness of Death Always Wins is the incredibly effective dual vocal attack, a seething, spitting, venomous delivery that espouses themes of revolution, political uprising, the apocalypse, and - as the band name alludes to — the twisted facets of the human psyche.

If the incredibly brutal-yet-melodic-without-being-too-melodic music Of Dead Asylum is the soundtrack to our society, well, you can kiss your sorry ass goodbye, cause, in the end, Death Always Wins.



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