Dead World Reclamation – Aura of Iniquity

Despite the pandemic and the restrictions forced upon us all, there are still plenty of new albums being released. Some of these are from new bands on the scene. 2021 sees Arizona-based technical melodic death metal band Dead World Reclamation release their second album, “Aura of Iniquity”.

The quintet from the city of Tempe in the Copper State, cite their love of death metal and good stories as their inspiration. Each track tells a short story in death metal format and the stories are very imaginative. They include tales of dark bargains with otherworldly beings made for power untold, forests where gargantuan spiders dictate the law of the land, and necromancy told from the viewpoint of the body possessed.

The album gets off to flying start, like a greyhound out of the traps with a no holds barred approach. “Ripped from the Grave” is no doubt a gruesome tale and is delivered with suitable ferocity. Then for a few surreal moments of ‘Embrace the Hive’, we get the antithesis of that intensity. Piano and a choir act to bring calm and lead into a catchy riff which repeats between more ferocious parts. The piano and choir return briefly in the middle followed by a splendid guitar solo for dessert.

Dead World Reclamation – Embrace the Hive (click here if the video does not play)

‘Heralds of the Formless One’ has a bit of everything. A heavy grandiose intro, blast beats, complex guitar runs, piano and choirs. It is one of the more varied numbers on the album.

Dead World Reclamation – Heralds of the Formless One (click here if the video does not play)

‘Arachnocratic Assemblage’ is the afore-mentioned tale about the gargantuan spiders that dictate the law of the land. A powerful soaring lead break glides over a solid riff before screeching vocals spell out the tale. It contains lines such as, “Silken webs descending from arachnid majesty”.

Dead World Reclamation – Arachnocratic Assemblage (click here if the video does not play)

‘Whispers of the Evergloom’ has a different vibe to the rest of the album. The opening riff reminds me of ‘The Eve of War’ from Jeff Waynes’s ‘War of the Worlds’ and the song finishes in much the same way. Between these musical bookends, lies a mischievous sounding section that starts with the magniloquent first line, “Quixotic enchantress of coven-born tongue”. This rather pleasing and satisfying portion of music returns later in the song, but a remnant of it is present in the background throughout, even in some of the heavier parts.

Dead World Reclamation – Whispers of the Evergloom (click here if the video does not play)

Although most of the album is delivered at top speed, with whirling drums and guitars, there are exquisite mellower moments. The guitar solo that starts ‘The Void Bargain’ is one such example. ‘Those Born of Suffering’ has brief snippets of acoustic guitar. Further into the track some of the vocals are reminiscent of Jon Oliva.

Dead World Reclamation seem to have their chosen genre sewn up tight. They inject just the right amount of melodic ingredients and have bags of technical skill and ferocity tempered with infectious rhythms.

Track list:

1. Ripped From the Grave
2. Embrace the Hive
3. The Everlasting Hunt
4. Pantheon of Shadows
5. Heralds of the Formless Ones
6. Arachnocratic Assemblage
7. Whispers of the Evergloom
8. The Void Bargain
9. Those Born of Suffering
10. Plaguemaster’s Legacy