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Album Reviews : The Walking Dead Orchestra – Resurrect

By on May 18, 2018

These days, when I see a band that is French, my interest is instantly piqued. And I am rarely disappointed. So when I see the words ‘French tech death’, the urge to review is overwhelming.

And, surprise surprise, I was not disappointed by The Walking Dead Orchestra’s second full-length album Resurrect. Opening with 25 seconds of industrial noise, the album then veritably explodes with Resurrect the Scourge, and then continues to mercilessly pound the senses and the psyche of the listener for an enjoyably hellish 40-odd minutes. Right through to the aptly named closer Desecrate, which defiles and demolishes all in its path. The playing, songwriting and production are unrelentingly razor-sharp and blisteringly brutal, and the vocals sound as though they emanate from the mouth of Satan himself, so there is something here for all fans of just about any style of musical extremity.

However, in true tech style, this band knows how to ensure that the brutality remains interesting across the entire course of the album’s length, building dynamics of groove, tone, feel and technicality into the systematic musical mayhem. It throws myriad curveballs at the listener and keeps you guessing at all times, and this is what separates bands like this from your everyday, garden-variety death and thrash metal bands.

Ultimately, the virtually complete lack of the melody and soundscapey ambience that you regularly get from actual progressive metal acts makes this somewhat of an overwhelming listen for these ears, but if your bag is relentlessly brutal music created by prodigiously skilled musicians, then I strongly suggest you dig this album up and play it on maximum volume. You will thank me later.

Band: The Walking Dead Orchestra
Album: Resurrect
Year: 2018
Genre: Tech Death
Label: Unique Leader Records
Origin: France

About

Rod Whitfield is a Melbourne-based writer and retired musician who has been writing about music since 1995. He has worked for Team Rock, Beat Magazine, themusic.com.au, Heavy Mag, Mixdown, The Metal Forge, Metal Obsession and many others. He has written and published his memoirs of his life and times in the music biz, and also writes books, screenplays, short stories, blogs and more.