The hexad from Glasgow managed to impressed the Metal scene with their last album This War Will Last Forever that was released before one year. The Scottish band deployed the good reviews and the positive feedback and with quick moves earned a brand new record deal with Nuclear Blast and now is ready to show the Metal world the next addition in MENDEED's back catalog.
The second full-length release is entitled The Dead Live By Love and features 12 tracks (plus the bonus track Masquerade found in the digi-pack edition).The album reveals its musical content as soon as the first notes of Burning Fear pass through the speakers; melodic Death Metal with plenty of classic double guitar riffing in the style of IRON MAIDEN. MENDEED implements the guitar duel pattern building a solid rhythm section that has been deeply influenced by the work of CHILDREN OF BODOM. Burning Fear is the ideal album opener with a fast paced intro that leads the listener to the sing-along chorus. The vocals follow the aggressive, almost Black Metal, versus clean Metal vocal battle introducing for one more time the term Melodic Death Metal. The staccato rhythm guitars in the following track, The Fight, brings to mind the pirate Metal of the legendary RUNNING WILD; the fast tempo introduced in the lead guitars look upon the fret-wrecking riffs of the British band DRAGONFORCE. The Dead Live By Love adds some melody with pretty good leads and solos frequently visiting the Gothenburg sound, while Fuel The Fire returns to the fast tempo with very good drum work. Here the harsh vocals seem to be a little bit weak and often fail to support the aggressive sound. MENDEED show us the epic side of their music with the heavy low-tuned rhythm in Gravedigger that is colored by the addition of some blast-beats. Our War returns to the classic a la CHILDREN OF BODOM sound when the relentless drumming open for the following song Blood Brothers that comprises a melodic clean guitar break and some almost Black Metal vocals. Through Dead Eyes has a really catchy vocal melody and a headbanging rhythm but the over-use of the lets-sing-together pattern may soon after tire the listener. The in-your-face track Reload 'n' Kill shakes things up with the double drum pedaling the shredding riffs, while Take Me As I Am adds nothing new to MENDEED's profile. It's Not Over Yet is an intense Thrash track with fast drumming that sounds perfect for some descent mosh-pit where the vocals seem to be improved. The album closer is called Thirteen and is another fast song with some interesting keyboard additions and a very good guitar solo that, in someway, enrich MENDEED's rather restricted sound.
If you are a fan of this Metal genre that features bands like TRIVIUM, CHILDREN OF BODOM or BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE then this album can find a place in your CD collection. On the other hand, if you're searching for something new and fresh then you should move on to the next Metal Temple review.