CRIMINAL — Dead Soul (review)

CRIMINAL — Dead Soul album cover Album · 1997 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Dead Soul" is the second full-length studio album by Chilean thrash/groove metal act Criminal. The album was released through BMG Chile in 1997. It´s the successor to "Victimized" from 1994 and there´s been one lineup change since the predecessor as drummer Jose Joaquin Vallejos has been replaced by Jimmy Ponce.

Stylistically the material on "Dead Soul" continue the thrash/groove thrash metal style of the predecessor, but with an added songwriting depth and even better musical performances. It´s still mid-90s Sepultura which is the greatest influence and reference, but I hear a few nods toward an act like Prong too. So this is raw, aggressive, and groove laden thrash metal with a raw sounding lead vocalist in front. The songwriting is reasonably varied for the style and the tracks are generally powerful, sharp, and well written. Some of the standout tracks are the Spanish language "Hijos De La Miseria" (the remaining tracks feature English language lyrics) and the heavy closing track "Guilt". The latter features quite a few great guitar solos which are worth a mention. The remaining tracks are overall strong and effective too.

"Dead Soul" features a raw, powerful, and brutal sounding production, which suits the material well. The only minor issue I have with the sound production, is the clicky powerless sound of the bass drums. That part of the sound could have prospered from a more natural tone. "Dead Soul" is overall still a strong release though and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is fully deserved (and maybe even a bit low).
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