"Crypts Of The Unrotten" is the second full length album from DAWN OF DISEASE, who formed in 2003. They may be from Germany, but you can definitely tell that they are big fans of the Swedish side of Death Metal. Some people may perceive this album as lacking originality, but it's got many moments of brilliance.

This is actually a concept album based on the Capuchin Catacombs in Sicily, which probably explains the album titles and song titles (yes, yes, I knowit's a Death Metal album...). But seriously, the album flows well from one song to the next, with the intro - "Descent Into Another World" - setting up the album nicely, even if it's not really representative of the rest of the songs (it's a lot tamer than everything else). There are definitely elements of Melodic Death on the album, with some melodic hooks and riffs that you can really get your teeth into. And it's during these moments that you can't help but be reminded of AMON AMARTH, and their savage tunes. The vocals aren't overly deathly - you can still decipher what he's actually saying - but I would imagine that they are brutal enough to please all the more traditional Death Metal fans out there. Apart from the intro, there's another little instrumental bit near the end - "Devouring Obscurity" - and it connects the songs before and after it seamlessly.

I've already mentioned the vocals, and let me just say this - Wisniewski is a very good singer, and very consistent. Now that might not seem much of a compliment, but believe me when I say that I've heard a lot of singers that just can't keep up the standard for a whole album. Kerk, Kirchner and Wӓchter provide the highlights of the album, in my opinion, with their guitar and bass work. It's brutal, and heavy, and melodic, and the solos are simply awesome. And of course, Blӓsse's drumming is also excellent, although with such a crisp production, the drums can sound a bit programmed, if you catch my drift. But on the other hand, the high production values really allow the guitars to show off. The only real criticism I would have about this album is towards the end, it does start to get a little repetitive. Despite this, there are still moments that stood out for me. "Crypts Of The Unrotten" is pretty much seamless, and there were no times when I was thinking 'how come this album hasn't finished already?'

All in all, DAWN OF DISEASE may not be introducing anything new to the genre, or producing anything groundbreaking, but it definitely is a very solid album. They're still a relatively young band, and hopefully they've got a lot more in store for us.