Dead Animal Assembly Plant, “Bring Out The Dead” (album review)

Portland-based industrial shock rockers Dead Animal Assembly Plant have at long last inflicted their full-length album Bring Out The Dead onto our eager eardrums. Building anticipation with a few single releases over the past few months, the album is just as brutal as promised. It opens with the eerie, atmospheric “Cemetery Slums” and launches headfirst into the first single “A Violent Breed,” a guitar-driven stomper with a catchy chorus so that you and all your spooky friends can sing along. “The Ghost Of Friedrich Nietzsche” follows with a haunting bass line and chugging guitars against vocalist Z. Wager’s furious chant. “Sacred Disgrace” features violist and violinist Lulu Black to great effect, the wavering high melodies of her strings contrasting nicely with the growling bass and guitars against a ruthless beat. “Behold The Righteous Plague” is classic DAAPL and the guitars are masterfully heavy industrial metal at its best. The last track, the rhythmic “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” is another collaboration, featuring guest vocals by Outer Stace.

For an album that’s so dark and heavy, there’s still a lot of dynamic range and balance between light and dark. While a lot of contemporary industrial metal sometimes falls into the trap of too much distortion or mud, Bring Out The Dead steers clear unless it’s for effect, making this album a welcome addition to the collection of anyone who likes their industrial music with guitars and plenty of grit. Go get it…and turn it the fuck up!