Arsis - We Are The Nightmare

General Information

Original Author: The Uncreator

Artist: The Black Dahlia Murder

Album: Nocturnal

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Tracklist

01. Everything Went Black
02. What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse
03. Virally Yours
04. I Worship Only What You Bleed
05. Nocturnal
06. Deathmask Divine
07. Of Darkness Spawned
08. Climactic Degradation
09. To A Breathless Oblivion
10. Warborn

Sound

8.5 Excellent sound from all performers, from the guitars, vocals, drums and bass the album is perfectly solid all the way through. It reminds me somewhat of Carcass, either way, great heavy and brutal sound 100% all the way through.

Guitars

8 Great stuff here! Brian Eschbach and John Kempainen are a marvelous guitar duo, Kempainens blistering smooth leads over Brians relentless riffs will make your head bang till your spinal chord begs for mercy! The riffs are some of TBDM's best in my oppinion, In the style of traditional death metal and melodic death metal with heavy detuned and technical riffs with some great speed picked riffs, this album is an arsenal of heavy. If you like the manic fast riffs seen througout death metal, this album should do it for you, The solos as well are fantastic! smooth melodys or super fast shred, they are just great to listen to, the solos remind me of fellow Death Metallers "Job For A Cowboy" because the tone to me is similar, but still each is unique!

Bass

8 Well what death metal band isnt complete without the great bass player? Ryan "Bart" Williams is that great bass player, with solid riffs and some really cool fills, the bass acts like a machine that makes the album that much more heavier. Merciless demons surely fuel this man on his quest for heavy, amazing performance!

Drums

10 Maybe one of the few times where the drums i rate higher than the guitars, when TBDM lost there old drummer Pierre, i was somewhat dissapointed, because he was an amazing drummer, well with Shannon Lucas now as TBDM's drum man, i have no worries, this man is incredibly solid, and his drum sound is fantastic. He plays some amazing grooves and of course, the machine gun double bass!

Vocals

8 Trevor Strnad, also the bands lyricist, uses a variety of vocal types. From the higher shrieks 'a la' Emeperor, Immortal or black metal in general, to the low Growls seen in Death Metal, he covers his bases well. If you are already conditoned to like these vocals you shouldnt have any problem being at home with this. On the other hand, for people not use to this vocal style, it might be harder for you to enjoy, the only way to know is to listen and find out!

Lyrics

9 Years of listening to bands like Carcass, Cannibal Corpse, and many many other death metal acts who have written lyrics leaned toward the gore side, has conditioned me to hear them and not be affected by them like most peopel are. So if you are one of these people who are used to the obscure aspects of some death metal acts, you shouldnt be far from home. Besides the gore there are some very interesting horror elements that remind me of Horror masterminds such as Lovecraft, lyrics that arent focused on the gore necessarily, but have a great Horror feel to them

From "Everything Went Black"<br> Crawling the walls through every crack and crevice
Teems blackness washing over the windowpanes
Painting the buildings in between
Creeping down the alley ways
Consuming every street

Running just prolongs the end
Inevitably it strides

Where has it come from?
How can it be stopped?
So quickly were to meet our end
Our empire we have lost

From "Deathmask Divine"
I could never let you go
My darling cold and blue
I wonder are you dreaming still
Spread eagle blood removed
I weave the sucking trocar beneath your bruising skin
Tonight ill lay beside you darling
In necromantic sin

From "To A Breathless Oblivion"
Relieving my vision from that sick mocking stare of that hated sun
Burning the sky
Slumped like a headless scarecrow cold and limp
against the wall blood paints a pattern of rorschachs design
Thawing the winter that burdens this heart

Beyond those Cursed stars above
Lies the answer that I seek
On the backs of bullets rides my name
longing to kiss my cheek
Resentfully decline, retire this hated life without guilt
I break these veins carved with salvations knife

Overall Impression

8.5/9 Well, what happens when 5 geeks who happen to have an affinity for metal get together and make a death metal record? The Black Dahlia Murder happens. Bonecrushingly heavy, fast, technical riffs with smooth toned solos spreaded out like details on a painting. Great Melodic Death Metal album!