Ironically, the most notable item about Dictated is the thing you are least likely to notice if you are listening to the album. It is kind of a bummer that it really needs to be addressed here in 2014 but here it is: the band’s two axemen are in fact, women! The gals also ensnared Henri Sattler and Michiel van der Plicht (God Dethroned) to chip in on bass and drums. That’s it, now that we are past those juicy little tidbits, let’s get into the music.
Dictated play death metal that more or less blurs the lines between brutal and traditional, which benefits from a more modern production. The riffing is razor sharp and songs like “This is to All” jump out at you with no restraint. There’s a solid jolt of energy that permeates the music here, with tracks like “The Basher” (which features Jason Keyser of Origin) and “Stonebreakers Rising” doing a good job of balancing the quick and agile sprinting with some seriously heavy groove. In fact, the slower, groovier moments might be the band’s forte, as they manage to keep the intensity of the higher tempo but allow for a more sinister and menacing guitar tone. The songs never venture to far into the technical territory (and there is a lack of soloing if it’s a concern for some), but this is the type of thing sure to appeal to fans of bands like Bolt Thrower and Jungle Rot.
If you are in the market for something that references the more traditional death metal ethos without giving into the urge to keep a sound that matches it, Dictated will certainly fit the bill. Memorable and brutal, what more do you really need from a death metal album such as this?