Review Summary: Though shoved in the same nu-metal corner as bands like Mudvayne and Slipknot, the band once again proves themselves as anything but. Perhaps Dry Kill Logic has finally gained some respect in the metal community.
For a band that has had so little attention, so many ups and downs, so many problems with labels and distribution, so many lineup changes...Dry Kill Logic is one of those bands that refuses to die. Not only that, but despite having blatantly put themselves in the now-hated nu-metal category with thier first couple of releases, the band refused to die with the genre and adapted, maturing beautifully into a respectable modern metal/hard rock entity, with solos, thrashier riffing, more intense lyricism, and far better production. This was first evident on the prior album, The Dead and Dreaming, but finally came fully to fruition with Of Vengeance and Violence, the thrashiest, heaviest, most respectable album from the band to date.
After the oh-so-typical filler intro track, the listener automatically thinks "here we go again" with the generic crap. However, although the musical style of what's to come isn't necessarily groundbreaking, it is certainly a breath of fresh air, and in the case of the first couple of songs, a slap in the face with heaviness. Perhaps the best songs on the album"My Dying Heart" and "4039", open this unrelenting CD, exhibiting a thrashiness and energy never thought possible from Dry Kill Logic. Indeed, the audio assualt does not stop until "Kingdom of the Blind", the eighth track and first melodic approach to the album. It is a nice changeup, with a notably catchy, albeit typical guitar riff during the prechorus. The assault returns, however, with an unusually intense "Dead Man's Eyes".
The only disappointment is that after that, the last couple of hard tracks revert a bit to typical nu metal, melody-fused-with-thrash type offerings more typical of earlier Dry Kill Logic, and are a rather uninteresting listen. I honestly cannot say too much more though, because the intensity of this album in relation to previous work is astounding enough to make up for it.
Lastly, in true Dry Kill Logic fashion, the album ends same as the others, with a beautiful acoustic. "In Memoria Di" captures a more emotional, softer side of the band, with drummer Phil Arcuri also playing guitar for the track. I thoroughly enjoy the DKL acoustics; they show a huge dynamic that most people don't realize the band posseses.
On a side note, this album is also a testament to vocalist Cliff Rigano's development as a producer/engineer. Typically self-producing bands are far too biased and cannot perform producer or engineer duties with an open mind and fresh ears; Cliff, however has grown tremendously and is able to do that. The production of the album is very clean, unlike the slight muddiness heard on The Darker Side of Nonsense or The Dead and Dreaming.
Overall, a surprisingly energetic and heavy release from an incredibly underrated band.
