Dented Reality

Hailing from Botswana, Crackdust is probably the highest quality band in the metal scene in their home country. They know how to compose and play their instruments better than most of their compatriots as of the time I'm writing this. They're also the Batswana death metal band with the most international attention thanks to their good sound above most of their peers. The name also grabs attention as Western listeners probably hear their name and think of crack cocaine rampages, even though it probably has more to do the cracked, dusty ground of the Kalahari Desert where they live. However, though they are the best in their land, Dented Reality is an album that shows a lot of gusto, but also a need for improvement and growth.

Dented Reality could be summed up in one phrase, "by the numbers death metal with a lot of passion." These guys certainly know the old masters of death metal well as comparisons can be made to Cannibal Corpse or Deicide with how Crackdust construct their riffs, grooves, and songs. Just about all of the songs feature a punchy groove structure and guitar tone with plenty of bass and punch-and-kick moments of malice. If Crackdust was looking to do anything above all else with this release, it was to get heads banging, even if it is to the detriment of complexity, uniqueness, and memorability. Many songs sound similar to one another and the writing for each song is very brief and basic. They sound good while they're there, but the simplicity and brevity of these songs leaves the listener wanting for something more substantial. There also is only one track which stands out uniquely here, that being Deranged Psychopath which is the best thought out song with a prominent intro and main riff that announce the song's presence and then proceeds with the pummeling. I really wish they had more sings like this. While brimming with unholy rage and passion, Dented Reality is kind of same-y death metal that yearns for new development.

Dented Reality is a standard album with plenty of talent. Crackdust clearly goes above the call when tasked with taking on their countrymen, but the band thirsts for improvement if they ever want to take on death metallers from other corners of the world. While fun and mindless, there isn't much to keep you around and much of their energy seems to be focused on emulating their idols rather than carving their own identity. With a follow up that adds more complexity and original/ambitious ideas and songwriting to their core sound, these guys could end up becoming something much more substantial. With the release of the single Return of the Gods, it sounds like they might be going in a more mature and original direction which is great for them. As for Dented Reality, this is an album that shows us an amateurish, if gory, fun, and crunchy addition to the world of death metal.

Who knew they even listened to metal in Botswana, apparently they have their own bands too. Crackdust is one of those bands that, because of the country they are from, draw the appeal of outsiders. When I first heard of the band that is exactly what drew me to them. I am so glad I tried to get their album to hear the whole thing.

Dented Reality is one of those albums that is just really fucking heavy. Not knowing what to expect from a band from Botswana I was immediately surprised at how good the songs were. I guess I was actually expecting it to be generic, but Crackdust have definitely made a good album. Chunky and heavy is the best way to describe this album. The music is slow-paced, but has a faster feel to it than it really is. I can't say the vocals are generic, but they do seem similar to something else I have listened to. Everything on this album is just heavy and catchy, the musicians surely nailed what they were looking for and have made a good album. I guess the closest thing I can really think of is a mix between Bolt Thrower and some of Dan Swanö's slower music.

Just expect this album to make you think that places other than the bigger countries can produce some damn good metal music; the little ones should not be overlooked. A heavy and catchy Death Metal album that makes you headbang is a real pleaser.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com

I have a strange interest in bands from obscure countries. So naturally, when I heard about the full length debut from Botswana’s Crackdust, I thought I’d check it out. I wasn’t expecting much, and this album turned out to be much much better than I expected.

Surprisingly, the production is perfect. And by perfect, I don’t mean the uber polished Pro Tools production that is so widespread amongst death metal bands today. The production is more akin to that of early 90s death metal, which is a good thing. It is clear without sounding overly digital, so there is no muddiness, yet there is also no artificial sounding plastic modern sound. The guitars are downtuned, and the guitar tone is thick and bassy, and quite heavily distorted.

Not only does the production sound like early 90s death metal, but in terms of songwriting, this is also pure early 90s dm. Again, this a good thing in my opinion. There is a nice mix of chunky palm muted riffs and tremolo riffs, and the music is for the most part mid paced and crushing. Blastbeats are used sparingly, but drummer Dlax proves that he can blast if he so chooses on songs such as Ruptured and Desecrate. Occasionally, melodeath-like harmonized high guitars are thrown in atop the low end riffage, but it doesn’t sound anything like Gothenburg, and the music retains a pure old school death metal sound during such passages. Born of the Sorcerer, Deranged Psychopath, and Son of Rosobola are good examples of this. The music is not overly technical, but rather straight to the point bone crushing death metal, and is often as catchy as hell.

As a big fan of old school death metal, I can’t help but like a well done retro dm album such as this. The songwriting is good, and the music is pretty easy to get into. It is catchy without sounding cheesy or melodic in a Gothenburg sense. The one weakness this album has is that many of the songs are too short. Sometimes the songs seem to end abruptly and unnaturally, as if you were expecting the song to go on, and then wonder “that’s it?” I would recommend this album to fans of old school death metal. It’s available for download for a small price on the band’s website, and worth every penny.