Review: “Death From Above” by The Risen Dread

When the evidence you previously submitted to the court was enough to take your band to Wacken Open Air in 2022, allow you to open for Vader and Marduk on the United Titans tour across Europe and play on an extensive South American tour with shows in Colombia, Argentina, Chile and Brazil, what is there left to achieve? The answer to that is a simple one, to become career musicians, quitting the day job in pursuit far greater adventures. That’s what Dublin based Melodic Death Metal act The Risen Dread will hope to achieve with their sophomore album “Death from Above” and the help of Time To Kill Records. Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Marco Mastrobuono (Fleshgod Apocalypse, Hour Of Penance) at Bloom Studios in Guidonia, Rome, Italy the affair is their first with drummer Marcos Batata who joined in 2023…

You may want to batten down the hatches in preparation for the oncoming storm as The Risen Dread give you just seven seconds of sinister introduction to “The Day I Died” before setting Batata loose and the sticksman is keen to impress. Bringing the thunder to accompany the rumbling bass and razor sharp riffs, the quartet sound like a fierce and fiery reincarnation of “From Ember To Inferno” era Trivium on this one, tearing their way through the material at breakneck pace. Feltrin’s vocals are those of a wrathful God, pouring scorn on humanity while great use guitar layering is used so Ribeiro doesn’t sound like he’s on only riff lord on this one. The sense of rising dread on “In Fear We Trust” is as inescapable as the sumptuous solo, the rhythmic section once again demonstrating their power with an incredible performance. A masterclass in how create and pair back to back opening tracks to knock the discerning listener for six is not none that should be lost in the archives but celebrated like a Viking victory with poisoned chalices raised, especially when the quartet make it three from three with the scorching “Endgame Symphony“. So impressive almost tribal drum fills from Batata and some Death Thrash orientated riffage from Ribeiro pushes the envelope but it’s the vicious vocal performance that steals the show, Feltrin quite clearly at the top of his game.

Bordering on an occult ritual, the tale of “Circle of the Damned” is all blood and thunder as The Risen Dread put their collective feel to the floor and go zero to sixty in a couple of seconds. The sheer monstrous power of the track is astounding, the four piece taking things to a new realm of pain with time clearly well spent in the rehearsal space crafting these crimes against humanity. This new material isn’t just refined in the fires of Valhalla but redefined, shaped and sculpted to create a different animal. The performances are tighter and more focused while the passion remains fierce as ever. Winds of plague offer a momentary respite from the onslaught before the staccato riff breaks and double kicks of “Azadi” kick you in the guts. Scalding helter skelter riffage follows, the back and forth broken by an apocalyptic solo which melts the face clean off. Another adrenalized punch of Death Thrash that would probably have been labelled Metalcore in 2003, its a stone cold winner before the orchestrated dance macabre and piano of title track “Death From Above“. A piece of cinematic quality that feels like its been cut from a scene in Dracula with it’s dramatic speech, this one actually and perhaps unexpectedly serves as an introduction piece to the brutal “Burn My Angels“. A ripper of a cut that wastes no time in getting going and arguably has the finest vocal performance from Feltrin, it clearly means more than meets the eye to the band. It feels deeply personal, the extended throat shredding roars and drama filled riffs ensuring that no ash can settle on the ground before the fires burn out.

The rampage that is “A Conversation With God” confirms that the band aren’t going to be pulling any punches on this album, instead going all out for annihilation with driving guitars and pummelling percussive battery. Another sublime solo is the Chef’s kiss of this one, the band issuing a warning that they’re coming for the crown and the main stages of festivals far and wide. It has to be said that Mastrobuono deserves a lot of credit for his work in the studio, he’s not only nailed the mix but also given the band a clean, crisp sound with which to burn the World. The fist pumping chorus of “Slay” will send crowds into disarray, not sure whether to break the cover of their circle pits created by the “Burn My Eyes” era Machine Head inspired riffage or not but either way its a mighty fine time. What’s that cliché? All killer, no filler? Yes. That’s right. This is it. “Beyond My Final Breath” brings the bloodstained curtain down on the collection without moral restraint, hammering the nails into the coffins of the naysayers. A non-stop rollercoaster ride of thrills and bloody spills, this record is a bona fide classic [9/10]

Track Listing

1. The Day I Died
2. In Fear We Trust
3. Endgame Symphony
4. Circle of the Damned
5. Azadi
6. Death From Above
7. Burn My Angels
8. A Conversation With God
9. Slay
10. Beyond My Final Breath

“Death From Above” by The Risen Dread is out 13th June 2025 via Time To Kill Records