Dew-Scented

Following their long-held tradition of choosing album names that all begin with the letter "I," German death/thrash band Dew-Scented have dubbed their ninth full-length offering Icarus. The band have also continued their less-regular but still frequent habit of dramatic line-up shifts. Vocalist Leif Jensen has long been the sole founding member remaining with the band, and is now one of their guitarists as well, while their bassist and drummer are brand new as of 2012. Possibly due to this latest shake-up, Icarus doesn't compete with the band's finest offerings. The production is solid, with a thick, muscular guitar tone, and Jensen's vocals still retain a commanding energy. The songwriting, however, is notably lacklustre; it's as though the band were making a concerted effort to sound like themselves. The result is stilted and self-aware, without the authentic, blood-drawing viciousness of their best moments. The notable exception is "Destined to Collapse," which has a gripping, merciless energy and powerful drumming. However, it alone isn't enough to save the rest of Icarus from being one of the weaker records in Dew-Scented's catalogue.