DEAD SHAPE FIGURE were formed in 2003 and they are coming from Finland. They play a mix of melodic Death Metal and Thrash Metal and so far they have four demos, 2 EPs, and four full-length albums to their name. "Refinement Of Hatred" is now their third EP and it is an independent digital release via Bandcamp. The EP has a length of about 20 minutes.

The latest album of DEAD SHAPE FIGURE dates already back to 2018, so I thought it might be time for a new full-length album. Instead, new material comes in batches. After the release of the EP "Quatour Post Nihil" in 2020, "Refinement Of Hatred" comes with another four songs. It starts fast and aggressive with "The Phantom Deceit", a track which has everything the Melodic Death fan can possibly hope for: razor-sharp guitar riffs at high pace, hammering drums, crunching bass lines, growling vocals, epic melodies during the chorus sections, and comprehensive lead guitars. The growling vocals are around the medium end of the guttural range. There are a number of tempo changes throughout the track. Most notably, however, is the constant balancing act between the melodic Death Metal parts and the Thrash Metal riffing which is especially evident during the mid-tempo break. This constant switch of styles is the recurrent theme of this release. For fans of both melodic Death Metal and Thrash Metal, this must be a Garden of Eden.

"Portrait Of A Dogmatic Idiocy" continues with this approach. It starts slowly with an acoustic guitar prelude, before the Thrash Metal riffing continues at mid-tempo. The guitar riffs are direct and catchy. Rhythm and tempo are smartly mixed up which maintains the dynamics and aggression of the track. There are a couple of slower and epic melodic parts during the chorus section, but the Thrash Metal assault dominates the song. "Firebreather" starts with a short keyboard section that introduces the melodic theme of the song and transitions then into a mid-tempo track. The guitar riffing of the verse section remain sharp and aggressive, and the melodic chorus part is grim and epic. The mid-tempo break has its Thrash Metal vibes followed by a classical Melodic Death lead guitar solo.

"Stupidity Breeds False Idols" raises the level of aggression one more time. The guitar riffs are classical Thrash Metal riffs at mid-tempo and the crunching bass lines and drums are driving the song forward. The melodic chorus parts are short and have a few Swedish vibes. One asset of the sound are the frequent tempo switches. The break starts with a chilling head-banging sequence that is intensified by the keyboards, followed by a lead guitar solo played blisteringly fast. Even the guitar solo part has a number of tempo switches, before the song transitions to the initial riffing and melody. "Stupidity Breeds False Idols" was released as lyric video and the YouTube link is given below.

DEAD SHAPE FIGURE do what they do best: they deliver a cool symbiosis of melodic Death Metal and Thrash Metal. This symbiosis has a system and a clear structure by embedding melodic Death Metal melodies and choruses into a framework of Thrash Metal riffing. This requires variations in tempo and DEAD SHAPE FIGURE are very smart with that, which indicates a very good songwriting. If there is anything to criticize then that "Refinement Of Hatred" is "only" an EP. The EP is very well produced. Fans of melodic Death Metal and Thrash Metal will surely be delighted with the four new songs and will hope for a new album of DEAD SHAPE FIGURE in foreseeable future.