Review : DEW-SCENTED – “Invocation”

Dew-Scented – Invocation
released May 25, 2010 on Prosthetic Records

Rating: 3/5

As someone who grew up an hour north of Boston, I was aware of Edgar Allan Poe. The man wrote some of the darkest material that has ever crossed my eyes, and has surely inspired equal legions of Metal fans as, say, H.P. Lovecraft. This is true of German thrashers Dew-Scented, whose enigmatic name was drawn somewhere from Poe’s canon.

Speaking of names, Invocation is the band’s eighth album in a row to begin with the letter “I”. Not to be so moniker-minded, but it puzzles me that a band this talented relies on (what appear to be) gimmicks. Guitarists Michael Borchers and Martin Walczak ably elevate Dew-Scented, so fans are more likely to take notice. Although, every listen makes me believe more deeply that the band writes primarily for the stage. Beefy riffs, driving drums, a pissed-off singer, and the occasional crazy solo make for a steady, reliable live act. I just imagine them opening, instead of headlining.

It cannot be overstated that Leif Jensen needs to either improve his vocal dynamic or leave the band. With dimension akin to hardcore singers, he shifts between barks and growls, largely indecipherable. By the time “Have No Mercy On Us” began, I felt part of the very ‘us’ that was being shown no mercy. Jensen executes little memorable delivery between here and the chillingly-titled “Slaves of Consent”, where he actually gives his best performance on Invocation. The band also does well to expand their sub-5 minute track length into 6:19 for this album closer.

The spoken word at both the end of “Artificial Life” and start of “Torn to Shreds” try to mix it up, but scarcely spark interest. I was truly surprised how “Totem” helped break the monotony; Metal instrumentals are often extraneous, but here it helped to have a breather.

Dew-Scented offers no hope, nothing to grasp onto… and perhaps that is the idea. Like the cover art itself, Invocation is stark, cold, brutal, and distinguishable as those men in gasmasks shaking hands.

FCC: 8, 9, 11
Try: 2, 3, 12

01. Downfall (Instrumental)
02. Arise From Decay
03. The Invocation
04. Have No Mercy On Us
05. Artificial Life
06. Condemnation
07. Totem (Instrumental)
08. Torn To Shreds
09. Revel In Contempt
10. A Critical Mass
11. Global Hysteria
12. Slaves Of Consent