From the dark depths of Munich a dark, gloomy presence enters my midst; they are Dark Death Metal quartet DEAD ALONE and they offer up a pile of misery in the form of their upcoming release "Nemesis". In terms of Death and Black Metal that is a huge compliment.

Doing some background research I see that DEAD ALONE have been around for ten years now; their first demo "Inhumanity" was release in 2004 and have only go on to create more albums for their growing fan base to enjoy. If their upcoming release "Nemesis" doesn't ensure this fan base stays strong I don't know what will.

This release has actually converted me to a fan of the band; I had never heard them before until now. It starts off with the track "Nemesis" where I can hear influences from Melodic Death warriors such as AMON AMARTH and ARCH ENEMY. As the album progresses this goes down a much darker path as my ears pick up influences from Black Metal titans such as EMPEROR and DIMMU BORGIR. This mix of strong, powerful influences only increases my admiration for this band and record.

The tracks that stood out for me the most on this album were as follows; "The Awakening" for its grand, complex structure that sounds like a love demon from EMPEROR and DIMMU BORGIR, "Confession" for its ability to provide a perfect contrast between aggression and beauty and "Eclipse" the first hint of a Black Metal influence.

It ended on a triumphant note in the form of remixed "Confession". This escapade of Death Metal is sure to spread misery and despair; in the terms of Death and Black Metal, that's a compliment.