Album Review: I, Death The Leveller

With their debut EP, Dublin doom four-piece Death the Leveller mix haunting vocals with punishing guitars, positioning themselves as one of Ireland’s most exciting metal acts.
Formed in 2016 following the hiatus of Mael Mórdha, members Dave Murphy (Bass), Shane Cahill (Drums) and Gerry Clince (Guitar) recruited former Cursed Earth vocalist Dennis Dowling to form Death the Leveller. Feeling somewhat constricted with their previous bands, Death the Leveller are a more creative and free flowing force, with each track feeling like the evolution of a song. Tracks such as ‘A Call to Men of Noble Blood’ and ‘The Day Before the Night of Broken Glass’ swirl with emotive intensity, with each rhythm section hitting like waves breaking on the shore. Dowling’s vocals stand out in the track ‘Gone Forever’, slowly building throughout until its epic final verse.
The EP has a lengthy run time, with each song running for 9-10 minutes, but this is something that works for the band. Their songs are constructed like epics, developing organically without the constraints of typical song structures – with the final product sounding almost akin to a Type O Negative/Joy Division hybrid. A crisp production, the EP sounds professionally made, with the guitars sounding relentless and songs feeling lived in.
The EP’s artwork also jumps out almost immediately, courtesy of the work of French artist Anais Chareyre (also known as the drummer for black metal band Celtachor).
An excellent first outing for the Dublin band, which seems natural enough considering their combined experience in Mael Mórdha, Cursed Earth, and Guitarist Gerry Clince’s sessions with Primordial.
Death the Leveller’s self-titled EP is available on vinyl now exclusively from Sentinel Records –
www.sentinelrecords.com.
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