Don't Walk Dead

Trying to follow the food steps of Mortification with the evolution path Metanoia went beyond the boundaries of death metal with their second effort. I would say that it is a good thing if the path taken lead us to a better thing, unfortunately with this record it did not succeed.


They went into more death metal realms than thrash with Don’t walk dead, but they tried to create (and honestly I do not know how to describe it) ‘technical-doom-varied-rhythm death metal’. Sounds weird? Let me dig into it in detail: The production got better and the instruments now really sound good but again they don’t have the power and consistency from other bands like Kataclysm, Benediction or Suffocation. They incorporated black metal vocals. They changed the drummer so Dylan Speerstra is gone. The vocals are even deeper but not necessary more powerful.


When it comes to the songs, there is a song for almost every taste except for those old school death metal fans ala Obituary or Cannibal Corpse. You get more slow rhythm driven songs with cool riffs but no speed and no double bass drums. Clean vocals show up in many interludes and classical guitars are present throughout the album. The highlights for me are Threshold of the Annihilation and Grave Beyond a Slave which are kind of mid tempo-slow songs with cool extra arrangements. They even recorded a bonus track which is a terrible annoying punk-death song with some flats, yeah…flats.


If you are looking for calm ultra arranged death metal like Amorphis (the comparison does not fit literally but to give you an idea) with slow songs and symphonic arrangements here and there give them a chance but if you are into total ripping death metal from the old school skip this record in the music shop because although they improved a lot of things they went down to provide a solid record that will crush you or even for the lyrics which are cool but too disperse to be taken seriously, like those of Mortification really would.