After they popped unto my radar in 2017 on their tour with Gloryhammer, I was excited to hear, that Dendera is releasing a new record. Three years have come and gone since part one: Blood Red Sky, and now they return with part two: Reborn Into Darkness. They seem to prefer releasing EP’s over LP’s nowadays.
Where their full length albums The Killing Floor and Pillars of Creations were good records, they left a little room for innovation. I somehow always thought of that sound as “how Iron Maiden would sound, if they would debut nowadays”. Ashley Edison especially reminded me of Bruce Dickinson. I don’t mean that in a negative way. I think it says a lot about his prowess as a singer.
With their first EP however, they started to find their own sound a little more. The songs became significantly heavier, and they seemed to grow more confident as songwriters as well, as the songs got less formulaic.
Reborn Into Darkness is yet another huge improvement on all the aforementioned points, and is easily my favourite release of theirs.
Starting off the album with a calm intro called Insurrection (which means, there are sadly only four full tracks on this album), before shifting gears into speed with The Void. A great track from start to end. Full of melodic twin guitar parts, catchy hooks, and a great singalong chorus. The song also shows off their newest addition to their sound: incredibly well placed screamed parts.
As heavy and groovy this first song was, The End of Days is even heavier and groovier. They are supported by Tom Barber from Chelsea Grin on the mic on this song, who drops by and delivers a few awesome shouts. They lose no momentum on Endless Suffering either, on which Tommy Johansson from Sabaton contributed some guitar-work.
With a little help from a friend (CJ McMahon from Thy Art is Murder to be precise) Dendera closes their second EP with Reborn, and I’m left in awe and craving for more. If you’d put a gun to my head and were threating to shoot me, unless I name you my favourite and least favourite track on the record, I’d tell you: “Go ahead, mate. Shoot me”, because, for the life of me, I couldn’t decide.
Reborn Into Darkness is incredibly strong from the first to the last second. I can’t wait for their next release. I hope it’s a album this time, because I find, that I’m too much of a glutton for EP’s. I need more now!
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I like music. All of it. Except for schlager… And ballermann. Oh boy do I hate ballermann.
