Vital artifact from the golden age of of Swedish death metal
Phil Avetxori | 10/16/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Regardless of your take on the Swedish contributions to metal over the past decade, death metal peaked in that country about the same time (90-93) as it did everywhere else. While Morbid Angel and Deicide festered in the Florida swamps, Suffocation tore up the concrete in New York, and Carcass grossed 'em out in Great Britain; Entombed, Dismember, Carnage, and early versions of Therion and Dark Tranquility created perhaps the most satisfying sounds of the era. Entombed's "Left Hand Path" is the opening salvo and benchmark of Swedish death, and this album is often labelled a copy. Not true. Sure, that album shares with it the crunchy Sunlight studios guitar sound that's somehow simultaneously glistening and dirty, and both bands have a similar hardcore-derived-but-rock-tinged sense of forward motion. However, Dismember have their own sound: more manic and raw than Entombed, and with a different sense of melody. This isn't for fans of polished stuff like Opeth or In Flames, but if you like raw, bristly, propulsive death metal with hints of traditional metal melodicism, this is an essential classic."
Top o' the heap!
SaZ | Long Island NY | 03/22/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"After i stumbled upon this CD in '91, Swedish metal haz changed my whole view on the death metal scene. With the release of 'Clandestine' by Entombed, 'Penetralia' by Hypocrisy , and the ruthless 'Destroy, Erase,Improve' by Meshuggah, i have had countless hours of listening enjoyment. All of these are 5 star CD's, and the follow up releasez are also of the highest caliber, but 'Ever Flowing Stream' iz STILL my fav. It iz raw, unpolished, and pulplike , which givez you that urge to slam yer head on the pavement! The bottom line iz....you will be glad you bought it!"
Prime Cut Of Swedish Death Metal
Tom Z | USA | 12/07/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Dismember are (arguably) the archetype for Swedish death metal. The only other band I can think of that can combine technicality with brutality this well would be Edge Of Sanity. The best example I can think of to illustrate my point would be the song Dismembered. It begins with your typical melodeath intro riff and the rhythm thunders ominously in the background. Then the tempo gradually picks up speed after a blast of screams in the background and finally culminates in a virtusitic solo. Then a single voice whispers the word "dismembered" and all hell breaks loose. What follows for the rest of the song is chaotic brutality that makes most death metal bands look about as hardcore as the Backstreet Boys. So many death metal bands hold themselves to mundane limitations: gotta have cookie monster vocals, gotta downtune and play only power cords, gotta write lame lyrics about Satan, etc, etc, etc, it's refreshing to see a band say to hell with trends and do their own thing. That's what I like so much about Dismember. If they want to have a Malsteemish solo, they do so. If they want to do the vocals in a screaming style, they do so. You get the idea, for the most Dismember sticks to brutal death metal but aren't afraid to throw a little technicality and originality in there as well, and I commend them for that. My one complaint is the production kinda sucks but it's an old album so what do you expect.
To sum this review up in one sentence: If your a true fan of death metal you need this album.
"
Ideal Standard of Death Metal
Jose Angeles | Chazzwuzzles USA | 03/26/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It's pretty much straight forward death metal with the occasional melodic solos. The band is really similar to Entombed. It's that garage band, thrashy death metal sound, which is pretty good, raw metal for your metal needs. Solid crushing riffs and buzzsaw guitars in every trask, especially in "Torn Apart". I could feel the music piercing and scratching at my brain, has a nice solo in the middle and end of it. "Justifiable Homicide" has a real good melodic moment in it with the standout awesome solo. Same deal with the song, "Override Overture", a great harmonious solo.T his is not the greatest or most innovative death metal band ever but it is certainly worthy of a couple listens. It represents the fine genre of death metal wonderfully."
The best at both darkness and light
death metal and black metal | Austin, TX | 12/27/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Where too many Swedish death metal bands of this era never got beyond basic heavy metal, Dismember created a style of death metal which combined their influences to make an epic melodic form of constantly pummeling metal. Favoring the electric buzzfire production of Sunlight Studios the band use power chords of the higher registers to produce resonant melody, while keeping a fast pace of rhythm with often abrupt explosive changes. Death metal in style, but often beautiful and visionary in the revelations within, this album has poise and power in eloquent aggressive music."