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Review: BK 49 - Join the Dead
BK 49
www.bk49.de
Join the Dead

Label: Great White North Records
Year released: 2003
Duration: 45:25
Tracks: 9
Genre: Death/Thrash

Rating:
3.5/5


Review online: July 27, 2003
Reviewed by: Sargon the Terrible
Readers' Rating
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Rated 1.8/5 (36%) (5 Votes)
Review

Another album off this massive Great White North promo, BK 49 are, with Merlin, the only decent band on here. This is actually the second album-length release from this band, but the last one was a self-financed thing put out in 1999, so this is as good as a debut.

BK 49 (awful name, sounds hardcore, and no, the promo material does not say what it stands for.) are a pretty damn cool death/thrash band in the vein of Sepultura, Slayer, Possessed or even Destroyer666, though it must be said BK 49 have no trace of Black Metal in their sound. "Join the Dead" is full of crunchy, thrashy death metal that isn't groundbreaking or even terribly memorable, but it sure as hell is fun to listen to. BK 49 write longer songs than the usual thrashers, and they keep changing things up to keep from getting boring or monotonous, adding slower parts and switching riffs. The vocals are pretty standard deathgrunts, but they do the job.

The cover art for this album is pretty bad, but in an endearing way that recalls Atrophy's "Violent by Nature" album (anyone remember that one?) Lyrically BK 49 seem stuck in the graveyard, and I guess they watch a lot of zombie movies. But I'll take it over gothenburger ramblings any day.

At a time when a lot of death bands are adding some old school thrash to their sound in an effort to create something a bit original, BK 49 still manage to stand out from the crowd with their aggression and enthusiasm. The songwriting here is the only major flaw here, without enough catchiness to really grab you. But that aside, BK 49 are a band well worth a look.

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