Dethalbum IV: Last Call with Dethklok
Dethklok: Dethalbum IV (released 08/22/2023)
On August 6, 2006, Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha had a vision to create an adult animated television series on [adult swim] that would be centered around a melodic death metal band named Dethklok. The show featured fictional band members: Nathaniel Explosion – voiced by Brendon Small (vocals), Skwisgaar Skwigelf – voiced by Brendon Small (guitars), Toki Wartooth – voiced by Tommy Blacha and Mike Keneally (guitars), Pickles – voiced by Brendon Small (drums), and William Murderface voiced by Tommy Blacha (bass). Brendon Small wrote the music for the show and it would serve as vital pieces in many of the animated scenes throughout the show’s history. The show would instantly be a hit on [adult swim]. So much of a cultural phenomenon, that Brendon Small would go on to release The Dethalbum in 2007 featuring songs like “Murmaider”, “Awaken”, and “Bloodrocuted”. The album would be produced by Ulrich Wild, who was known for producing albums for bands such as Pantera, Static-X, Stabbing Westward, Deftones, and Breaking Benjamin.
Brendon would enlist the help of metal veterans Gene Hoglan (drums), Mike Keneally (guitar/backing vocals), and Bryan Beller (bass/backing vocals) to help with touring as Dethklok. Currently, the touring band consists of Brendon Small (guitar/lead vocals), Gene Hoglan (drums), Pete Griffin (bass/backing vocals), and Nili Brosh (guitar). Dethklok as a band has released a total of four LPs with their latest release, Dethalbum IV, on August 22, 2023, by Water Tower Music. So, let’s talk about Dethalbum IV and what to look for when you hear it!
The very first (1) track, “Gardener of Vengeance” begins with a brutal assault of thunderous double bass drums from Pickles/Gene Hoglan (Death, Testament, Dark Angel, and Strapping Young Lad) with some crunchy riffs courtesy of Brendon Small. When Nathan Explosion/Brendon comes in with his bloodthirsty vocals, the listener is once again transported to a land that is all so familiar. The land of brutality is Dethklok. “Gardener of Vengeance” is the perfect track to kick off this album.
The second (2) track, “Aortic Desecration”, is the first single released from Dethalbum IV to the public. Well, they picked a great single to get old and new fans eager to hear the entire album. “We’re all going to die!” will go down as one of the brutal beginnings of a metal song. I feel some Morbid Angel influence interwoven in this vicious track. I cannot wait to see Dethklok perform this song live and sing “Aortic desecration. How could I be so wrong? Disemboweled publicly. This is the dying song”.
Track four (4), “Mutilation on a Saturday Night” showcases Pickles/Gene Hoglan’s abilities to bring out some guttural thrash beats as the band creates another Dethklok metal masterpiece. One of my favorite tracks off Dethalbum IV is track ten (10), “SOS” is an epic 4:39 minutes’ worth of Dethklok’s ability to formulate a barrage of crunchy riffs mixed between double bass blast beats and Nathan/Brendon’s vicious lyrical accompaniment.
Track eleven (11), “Murmaider III”, closes out the unforgettable saga of Dethklok just as it began with “Murmaider” on The Dethalbum. Dethklok (allegedly) closes out their discography with the following quote, “The Murmaids sing/The Blackened fire/The blazing sky/The pluming ink/The sea beast cry/His final sleep/But we survive”.
While knowing that this might be the swan song for Dethklok, you can take solace in knowing that this entire album owns up to this enormous task. Dethalbum IV from start to finish is a testament to Dethklok’s growth and maturity in recording new material. From The Dethalbum to the latest Dethalbum IV, the evolution of their technical production and prolific songwriting is brutally illustrated with songs like “Gardener of Vengeance”, “Aortic Desecration”, “SOS”, and “Murmaider III” off Dethalbum IV. For 17 years, Dethklok has captured the attention of metal heads across the globe and now before the possible final chord is played on their current tour in Los Angeles, they have cemented themselves in the halls of the metal pantheon. Brendon Small's vision with Tommy Blacha spawned a movement in comedic callousness and extreme metal.
Track listing
1. “Gardener of Vengeance”
2. “Aortic Desecration”
3. “Poisoned by Food”
4. “Mutilation on a Saturday Night”
5. “Bloodbath”
6. “I am the Beast”
7. “Horse of Fire”
8. “DEADFACE”
9. “Satellite Bleeding”
10. “SOS”
11. “Murmaider III”
The BabyKlok Tour 2023
Don’t miss DETHKLOK on The Babyklok Tour with BABY METAL!
THE BABYKLOK TOUR 2023:
Wed-Aug-30-23 - Houston, TX- 713 Music Hall
Thu-Aug-31-23 - Dallas, TX - South Side Ballroom
Sat-Sep-02-23 - Orlando, FL - Orlando Amphitheater
Sun-Sep-03-23 - Atlanta, GA - Coca-Cola Roxy
Tue-Sep-05-23 - Nashville, TN - Nashville Municipal Auditorium
Wed-Sep-06-23 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre
Fri-Sep-08-23 - Pittsburgh, PA - UPMC Events Center
Sat-Sep-09-23 - Wallingford, CT - Toyota Oakdale Theatre
Sun-Sep-10-23 - Alton, VA - Blue Ridge Rock Festival
Tue-Sep-12-23 - Philadelphia, PA - The Mann Center
Thu-Sep-14-23 - Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Fri-Sep-15-23 - New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom
Sun-Sep-17-23 - Sterling Heights, MI - Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre
Mon-Sep-18-23 - Toronto, ONT - RBC Echo Beach
Wed-Sep-20-23 - Grand Rapids, MI - GLC Live at 20 Monroe
Thu-Sep-21-23 - Chicago, IL - Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
Sat-Sep-23-23 - Louisville, KY - Louder Than Life Festival
Sun-Sep-24-23 - Milwaukee, MN - The Rave/Eagles Club
Mon-Sep-25-23 - Minneapolis, MN - The Fillmore
Wed-Sep-27-23 - St. Louis, MO - Saint Louis Music Park
Thu-Sep-28-23 - Omaha, NE - Steelhouse Omaha
Sat-Sep-30-23 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
Sun-Oct-01-23 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
Tue-Oct-03-23 - Vancouver, BC - PNE Forum
Wed-Oct-04-23 - Seattle, WA - WaMu Theater
Sat-Oct-07-23 - Sacramento, CA - Aftershock Festival
Sun-Oct-08-23 - Las Vegas, NV - Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort
Tue-Oct-10-23 - Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Financial Theater
Wed-Oct-11-23 - Los Angeles, CA - YouTube Theater
Thu-Oct-12-23 - Los Angeles, CA - YouTube Theater
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