Forgotten Gems: Dream Death-Journey into Mystery

New Renaissance
1987

Formed in 1984 Dream Death knocked out a pair of demos a few years later and then got signed.They are yet another overlooked band on New Renaissance records that never got their due. This label was mainly known for speed metal and with good reason as most of their stable was made of bands churning out early thrash. However Pittsburgh's Dream Death had far more sludge to their sound. Celtic Frost are the obvious musical influence here. The pacing is very deliberate with thick thumping riffs mix clean slightly raspy vocals. In 1987 doom wasn't a sound that many bands under took. Their were a few bands like Saint Vitus, Trouble and Candlemass, but Dream Death embodied a heavier sound and realized doom didn't mean that every song had to creep by at a snail's pace. In addition to Celtic Frost it's likely Dream Death were fans of Sabbath, Witchfinder General, Pentagram and others as well. Dream Death had a firm on their sound right away and knew how to control theirs sounds and when to blast forward. The could change from slow sludge like drone to bone breaking galloping riffs without missing a beat. Several of the guitars show no restraint and definitely more of a thrash style than the doom style solos we are used to in recent years. A few of my favorite tracks are Hear my screams, The elder race and Black edifice. Yet all eight songs are stellar. Definitely an album worth checking down.