Dead - Hardnaked... But Dead!

Dead

Hardnaked... But Dead!
F.D.A. Rekotz

German death metal/grindcore act Dead has been around for more than twenty years, and within that time have released a colossal amount of split E.P. releases, E.P.’s and no less than five full-length albums, all of which have earned the band a cult underground following within the extreme scene.
Not surprisingly, with many of the band’s releases distributed through obscure labels, and the perverted mindset that permeates the entire band’s work (Most of the band’s material is lyrically based on something of a sexual or perverted nature), Dead aren’t exactly the sort of band that appeals to all death metal/grindcore followers. And reinforcing that notion is the band’s latest full-length release ‘Hardnaked... But Dead!’, which is the follow-up to 2009’s ‘For Lovers Of The New Bizarre’.
The trio (Who comprise of vocalist/guitarist Dany ‘Dead’ Straßenköter, Vocalist/bassist Uwe ‘Volker Dead’ Walker and vocalist/drummer Christoph ‘Ali Dead’ Allert) start the album off with a rather short and somewhat confusing sample that goes under the title of ‘Cock A Hoop’, before getting down to the serious stuff with ‘The Fineribber’. Although a little rusty on the production side of things, ‘The Fineribber’ is a solid slab of straightforward old school death metal with its pummelling riffs and guttural growls, and bolstered by some great solo work and huge gang vocals (Which are needless to say, just as guttural as the lead vocals).
The follow-up track ‘Liquor Store Goddess’ might be a little slower in its pacing, and a little rough around the edges in terms of the band’s performance (It sounds like it was given a couple of run throughs in the rehearsal room before being recorded live), but is otherwise a solid slab of death metal without the unnecessary extras.
Dead throw a curveball with the thrash-like riffing in the less than serious ‘Tits’ and the thrash/death metal hybrid heard in ‘Wall Of Flush’, but they soon come unstuck by trying a little too hard to come up with some laughs on the annoying voiceover/sample heavy and downright repetitive ‘A Beer’.
‘Short But Slim’ does fare a little stronger, with the samples used far more sparingly, and the band actually providing some worthy riffs to the extreme number, but unfortunately, as good as some of the ideas are in ‘Possessed Soldiers Of Luv’ and the slower and doom-like ‘Perfumes Of Doom’ (A song which I believe is based lyrically on farts), both are just a little too long, and overstay their welcome.
Finishing up the album is the title track ‘Hardnaked... But Dead!’, which combines some elements of doom metal with some death metal, but with enough space to allow some great shred work to really stand out (Or least give the impression that there’s no need to rush the solos). It’s hardly the album’s highlight, but it’s one of the better forward thinking efforts outside the whole porngrind style the band provides here.
Dead aren’t the greatest of song writers, and it shows more often than not throughout ‘Hardnaked... But Dead!’. And as long as you’re aware of that beforehand, you may get something out of this album. Otherwise, this is a fairly average album, and one that will seriously only please their cult fan base.

For more information on Dead, check out – http://www.myspace.com/deadofficial

© Justin Donnelly