UMUR
"To Hell And Back" is the debut full-length studio album by multi-national death/thrasn/groove metal act Dieth. The album was released through Napalm Records in June 2023. Dieth was formed in 2022 by Polish drummer Michał Łysejko, US bassist David Ellefson and Brazilian vocalist/guitarist Guilherme Miranda. All three are quite profilic on the metal scene, but it´s of course Ellefson who sticks out the most, because of his former high profile career with Megadeth.
Stylistically the material on "To Hell And Back" is a death/thrash/groove metal hybrid style, which is a bit hard to label correctly, but I´m assuming that´s what the band were aiming for. The musical performances are not surprisingly on a high level on all posts. Miranda has a strong death metal growl and a commanding delivery. The instrumental part of the music features both death metal brutality, galloping sharp thrash metal riffs and rhythms, and the occasional nod towards more heavy groove laden territories. There´s good variation, nice lead guitar work, and great organic rhythm playing within and between songs. So while "To Hell And Back" is a consistent release it´s not a one-dimensional affair. It is still a bit surprising that Dieth have opted to include a power ballad song ("Walk with Me Forever") with Ellefson on clean lead vocals. Don´t get me wrong, it´s actually a well written and effective power ballad and Ellefson is a very good singer, but the contrast to the death metal growling on most other material on the album is maybe a bit too much.
"To Hell And Back" features a grand, meaty, and polished sounding production job, which suits the material well. Upon conclusion "To Hell And Back" is a good quality debut album from Dieth, although it has left me a bit unsure of what the band are really aiming at in terms of sound and style. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.