Review Summary: While being slightly less mind-blowing than their debut, Dismember still manages to provide a highly effective experience with Indecent and Obscene.
Like an Ever Flowing Stream, the debut album by Swedish old-school death metal band Dismember, is a death metal classic. The album combines noticeable amounts of melody along with bludgeoning speed and cruel, unrelenting vocals. 1993's
Indecent and Obscene continues the trend with more psychotic vocals and ripping leads that will send the elderly and small children running. Dismember had a lot to live up to, as their debut was spectacular in many ways. Well, they seemed to have taken this challenge with open arms, as
Indecent and Obscene is another fantastic, thrashy showing.
Beginning the album with a downright blood-curdling shriek, Matti Kärki shreds his vocal chords on the album-opening, lightning-fast, "Fleshless". One will immediately notice changes in Matti's vocals from
Like an Ever Flowing Stream. On this album he primarily uses a growled shout and implements the high-pitched wail throughout the album. Spitting out lyrics like, "A bloodstained path to oblivion, Scarring both mind and soul." (From "Souldevourer") and "A masterpiece of skinless art, I'll sign it in your flesh" (From "Eviscerated (Bitch)"), he churns up images of torture chambers and frightening, chilling visions throughout the album. The duo of guitarists, Robert Senneback and David Blomqvist, once again impress with their arsenal of sinister, unnerving riffs. At times, even groove finds its way into the mix, most evident on "Sorrowfilled". They incorporate melody mainly with their solos, which move with incredible shred. They'll make you want to know just what wizardry they'll pull out of the hat next, although at times, it does seem to get slightly similar, which is among the few minor flaws that the album is burdened with. The rhythm section of bassist Richard Cabeza and drummer Fred Estby also provide impressive showing on their respective instruments of destruction. The most noticeable bass standout is the intro to album standout, "Dreaming In Red". It sounds really great, and is complimented throughout the album by the fact that the bass is usually audible in at least one place or another within the tracks. Fred adds in some excellent, breakneck fills and thundering double bass. As on
Like an Ever Flowing Stream, he keeps the album moving at often rapid speeds while still managing to add in creativeness here and there. Once again, an overall shining performance from the entire band.
As with
Like an Ever Flowing Stream, inferior tracks are hard to come by, as each track thrashes with unrelenting madness. Once again, the most effective track in my mind is the album closer. "Dreaming In Red" begins with the aforementioned bass introduction and then transitions into an ominous, sharp battering that basically sums up the album as a whole in five and a quarter minutes of melodic witchcraft. Matti's vocals are as vigorous as ever as he lets out lines such as "'Be it the deepest of dreams, Or the darkest of deaths" and "In the shadows of the obscure, My soul forever never more". Other solid tracks include the furious opener, "Fleshless", the duo of "Skinfather" and "Sorrowfilled", and the longer, "Reborn In Blasphemy" and "9th Circle". The album is an excellent showing from start to finish, however.
In conclusion, Dismember did themselves well with
Indecent and Obscene. While it might not quite match
Like an Ever Flowing Stream, it is another terrific death metal album from some of Sweden's finest. It's goal is simple, to come in and rip your face off with as many schizophrenic screams and forest-falling melodic guitar leads as possible. Goal achieved.
Indecent and Obscene gets a 4.5 out of 5.
