Vital Remains - Dechristianize
List Price:
Our Price: $8.47
You Save: $8.51 (50%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $3.88 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more new music releases
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Music CD Cover
Artist: Vital RemainsEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2003-04-22
Music Label: Olympic
Soundtracks:
- Dechristianize
- Infidel
- Devoured Elysium
- Savior To None... Failure To All
- Unleash Hell
- Rush Of Deliverance
- At War With God
- Entwined By Vengeance
Free Music Notes for Dechristianize
Free Music Review: I deny God and all religion.
Hit: 5 Stars
If there is one thing that extreme Death Metal sometimes lacks, it is melody, epic song structures and too many forced attempts at shock value. However, Vital Remains has done something few bands have ever done for the genre. They've made an intense, brutal, emotional album with technical songs that include melodic leads. You will be hard to come by these things in death Metal these days.
Putting all of that with one of the most well known vocalists/figures in the scene (Glen Benton) then you may just have something. Even though leader and most well known Vital Remains member Tony Lazaro is here on guitar, he takes a step back and lets Dave Suzuki do most of the work and I'm here to tell you, without Dave this album wouldn't be half of what it is. Dave here does Drums (yes even though he uses drum triggers for this album it is still the most impressive work he has ever done), Lead Guitar, bass and lyrics. If you don't take him serious as a musician. Give this album an hour of your time and you will. Then we have Glen Benton, I'd be lying to you if I said he'd impressed me over the last few years. Hell, before this he hadn't impressed me in 8 years! Then again, maybe when he ha come to terms that he wasn't working with just any musicians here, he realized he had to step it up and that he did. His vocals are the heaviest they've ever been. Not even the trio of classic albums he released with his other band Deicide can hold a candle to his performance here. He screams these lyrics with such belief that he makes you believe what he is talking about.
Which brings us to another point, the lyrics here are all very anti Christian. That is basically the concept of this album. Unlike most bands though. It is written so well and from the heart and so emotionally. Unlike many bands that do it for attention, Vital Remains speak what they mean and they need not shock value to show you. These aren't songs; they're epic pieces of art.
..:: Track By Track ::..
1. Let the Killing Begin (1:59)
I have always felt intros have on job. That is to get the listener excited for the album ahead. I must say this did more than that. It flat out surprised and shocked me. When listening to an extreme Death Metal album you don't expect to hear "Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi" from the opera done by Carmina Burana. This is an amazing classical work. Then when the dialogue with Jesus begins, chills went down my spine and I felt my jaw drop. At this point I knew this was no average metal album.
2. Dechristianize (8:56)
Amazing. Easily the best. Maybe even the best Death Metal song of all time. As soon as Dave starts pounding on those drums and in kicks a classic tortured scream from Benton, this song had my attention and held it for 8 minutes and 56 seconds. Then at 2 minutes and 20 seconds, you hear for the first time what you will many times through this entire album. A beautiful epic melodic lead. The stuff that would make any old school Maiden fan drool and any Chuck Schuldiner fan grin with delight. As the lead continues we hear Benton roar. "I deny God and all religion. Turn up the white of their eyes....Dechristianize" the mix of anger and beauty stunned me and left me wanting more.
3. Infidel (6:18)
Within ten seconds of this songs start; Dave starts some of his fastest drumming. Which you might think would drown out the guitars. However, the production is top notch here and everything comes together with amazing grace. The song occasionally slows down just to come back full pace a second later. What I love about this song is that it has the ability to change speeds so many times, yet not seem random. It all fits together perfectly. Glen surprised me as well here, I've noticed on some of his work, that fast speeds can surprise him almost and he speeds up his vocals. Here however, he shows no signs of being intimidated.
4. Devoured Elysium (5:44)
This song starts almost like a giant wave. It spends the first minute and a half building itself up higher and higher, which you can feel. Which at this point the song stops, except for one amazing, melodic guitar riff. Which Glen then simply screams "God which in most songs would sound cheesy but not here. At this point, that wave finally crashes down on you. Burying you in melody and brutality like never before. It does this, only to repeat itself again without losing any of the intensity.
5. Savior to None... Failure for All... (6:37)
While not his fastest on this album, Dave shines on drums here and steals the show. This song spawns an epic war cry into the heart of Death Metal. The guitar and drums play off each other quite well here. Taking this song to a higher level. As stated before, Glen's vocals blend together with the music so well here. Almost as if putting the final piece in a puzzle. The lead which starts at the 3 minutes and 10 second mark has an almost melancholy feel to it (quite rare in this genre).
6. Unleashed Hell (5:58)
No song name could ever sum up a song better than this. Sans melody in the first few minutes, this song is basically 5 plus minutes of being thrashed around like a rag doll. You almost get the feel of paranoia listening to this as everything is sped up so much and song changes keep you very much alert. You've been waiting for nearly three minutes, now you finally get it. The technical yet melodic lead. I could never get tired of it on this album. The beautiful melody really helps add atmosphere to the lyrics that Glen Benton is screaming.
7. Rush of Deliverance (7:08)
For some reason, unknown even to myself, I always felt that minus the acoustic guitars and plus about ten levels of brutality that this is something that Opeth would do with the given chances. This is probably only because of the guitar which kicks in at around the two minute mark. The first two minutes are basically a typical (even though this album is anything but) intense Death Metal. However, where most DM bands would end the song right then and there, only a few seconds of silence halt this song before another lead comes in. One of the best off the entire album. It carries over into the rest of the song which just puts a smile on my face, as it adds to the atmosphere quite a bit.
8. At War With God (7:55)
The guitar which sets itself in at the 20 second mark sets up for an almost thrashy Death influenced song. Proving itself early to be one of the best here it refuses to let up. Big thumbs up to Dave for the lyrics here. They are well written well placed and I don't get the feeling of them being spaced apart wrong or being scattered, which can be a problem for songs of this length. Again, once that three minute mark comes in we have more Chuck S. (Death) worship, as it sounds like something Chuck might himself have even played. We also have the only acoustic part here; it is played as well as you would want. Followed by even more guitar work right after, before bringing itself back in.
9. Entwined by Vengeance (10:01)
So here we are the final song on the Magnus Opus that is Death Metal. The longest song, barely clocking in over ten minutes does something here rarely hear on this album. Usually there is about 3 minutes in each song which I can point out as my absolute favorite here though. That is just not imaginable. Every part is memorable and Glen Benton's screams are down right scary in the first minute. The beautiful melody and brutality which have been playing off each other the entire album finally spin and form into one.
In conclusion, I always felt everybody deserved an opinion in music and that it was always based on a personal level and opinion on if you like it or not. With this though, I can easily say that if you enjoy Death Metal, you will love this album. It has what makes death metal so amazing, while adding new elements to it, making for one behemoth of an album. Enjoy.
- John
Alternative Rock Music CDs
Music Genres
Top music charts in Alternative Rock Music CDs
Bouncing Souls - Maniacal LaughterRelease date: 1996-01-26; Music CD
Best price: $30.00
Blondie - Parallel LinesRelease date: 1994-07-29; Music CD
Best price: $397.77
Doors - L.A. WomanRelease date: 1993-04-09; Music CD
Best price: $199.99
Amon Duul - Phallus DeiRelease date: 1997-04-08; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Tangerine Dream - MelroseRelease date: 1990-10-02; Music CD
Best price: $74.98
Tangerine Dream - Private Music of Tangerine DreamRelease date: 1992-11-10; Music CD
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops:
![Ska Explosion [VHS] Image](/images/Ska-Explosion-VHS-6303381014-X.jpg){kind=small}
Ska Explosion [VHS]Cleopatra; Release date: 1995-02-28; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops:
![Little Earthquakes [VHS] Image](/images/Little-Earthquakes-VHS-6302488664-X.jpg){kind=small}
Little Earthquakes [VHS]Atlantic / Wea; Release date: 1992-11-10; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $7.00
Price in other shops:
Exileby Geoffrey Oryema
Music CD
Best price: $4.95
![Louder Than Live [VHS] Image](/images/Louder-Than-Live-VHS-6301627865-X.jpg){kind=small}
Soundgarden - Louder Than Live [VHS]A&M Video; Release date: 1991-07-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
Top Rated Albums
Cannibal Corpse - Tomb of the MutilatedCANNIBAL CORPSE; Release date: 1992-09-22; Music CD
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops:
Vital Remains - Horrors of HellRelease date: 2006-02-07; Music CD
Best price: $7.38
Price in other shops:
Nile - Annihilation of the WickedRelease date: 2005-05-24; Music CD
Best price: $7.30
Price in other shops:
Deicide - To Hell With GodRelease date: 2011-02-15; Music CD
Best price: $7.09
Price in other shops:
Behemoth - DemigodRelease date: 2005-01-25; Music CD
Best price: $6.93
Price in other shops:
Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane (Bonus CD)Release date: 2006-06-27; Music CD
Best price: $7.71
Price in other shops:
Vital Remains - Dawn of the ApocalypseRelease date: 2009-12-01; Music CD
Best price: $22.80
Price in other shops:
Deicide - Stench of RedemptionRelease date: 2006-08-22; Music CD
Best price: $8.94
Price in other shops:
Vital Remains - Into Cold DarknessSnapper; Release date: 2004-03-09; Music CD
Best price: $6.30
Price in other shops:
Vital Remains - Icons of EvilRelease date: 2007-04-24; Music CD
Best price: $8.04
Price in other shops: