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DREAD
From This World To The Next

Self-released (2018)
Rating: 7/10

What a strange little record this is. Dread – originally hailing from New Mexico, but now relocated in Los Angeles – almost promised a straight up thrash outing, but instead have puked up a catchy, melodic metal opus of Judas Priest design laced with pacier roughness.

From This World To The Next is the first album from Dread for eight years (probably because from 2011 to 2013 they changed their name to Nuclear Reign), and so 2010 debut Brace For Destruction has somewhat become lost to time. But what a way to come storming back! This energetic trio grab New Wave Of British Heavy Metal-styled nuances with occasional beer-swilling crossover aesthetics; the end result being an interesting, streetwise and often brash affair brim with so many catchy gems.

Lead single ‘Tyrants Of Demise’ is an absolute killer track with its infectious hooks and rough around the edges vocal performance of Taylor Dread. But this 40-minute effort is just riddled with killer cult gems; Taylor becoming a barbaric Bruce Dickinson as the trio pump out enthusiastic ragers such as ‘Blitzkrieg From Hell’, the lengthy ‘Redemption Lies’, and the caustic yet billowing ‘Lost Souls Avenue’.

There’s a mature presence about the whole affair. For instance, the eight-minute slab ‘The Sleep Of Last Breath’ and closer ‘Until Again’ are breaths of fresh air in a world populated by sound alike thrash pretenders. Here, we have a youthful, slapdash yet controlled chunk of metal that is vibrant, almost spontaneous and yet choc-a-bloc with melodies that hook themselves into your head.

I just refuse to call this a straight-up thrash record, because I also hear maybe a band at times struggling to find its balance. But as this record rumbles on, one can only watch the debris fly as Taylor warbles his way through that title track backed by the his own percussive flurries.

Dread’s evasive sound just refuses to rest anywhere overly familiar in spite of the fact that we hear numerous influences. To be honest, at times I’m somewhat confused by what’s going on here but charmed by the rawness and apparent naivety. There’s clearly a youthful exuberance about From This World To The Next, but at their core Dread are band with fresh ideas and perspectives, taking metal into slightly unexpected directions by simply being themselves. So, go and support their lawless barrage of contagious metal mayhem.

Neil Arnold

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