From the moment you hit play, “Dethklok IV” grabs you by the face and doesn’t let go until you’ve been thoroughly pulverized by an 11-track onslaught of riffs and growls.
If headbanging was an Olympic sport, we’d all be gold medalists by the end of this album. Or a chiropractor’s dream client. Maybe both, who the fuck knows.
This entire thing is the most brutal masterpiece Brendan Small and the Dethklok team have put out yet. No goofy Toki dream sequences, no rock and roll clowns. Just sheer brutality. Oh, and another Murmaider sequel. Murmaider III? Don’t mind if I do.
Small, I mean, frontman Nathan Explosion’s vocals are insane. His lyrics continue to defy the boundaries of rhyme and reason, weaving tales of death, destruction, and maybe a smidge of existential angst. The guitars, drums, and bass all keep up with the next level of br00tality, weaving from soaring solos to rhythmic assaults.
“Dethklok IV” is a symphony of chaos that should not be listened to as some light listening. It’s heavier than a neutron star and demands exceptional volumes to really shine. Crank your dials to 11 and prepare to have your face melted. Dethklok has once again proven why they are the world’s seventh largest economy.
While you COULD stream it in the meantime, one of my favorite spots for kickass vinyl pressings, MONDO, has a fucking sweet pressing for pre-sale now.