A death metal version of
the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive"? As a rule, Scandinavian death metal bands aren't known for performing
Bee Gees covers. But "Stayin' Alive" does, in fact, receive a thrashy death metal interpretation from
Dimension Zero on
He Who Shall Not Bleed. On top of that, one of the
Dimension Zero originals on this 35-minute CD is titled "A Paler Shade of White" (as opposed to "A Whiter Shade of Pale," which was a major hit for
Procol Harum in 1967). Never let it be said that these Swedes lack a sense of humor. The Nordic extreme metal scene is full of bands that take their fascination with the dark side quite seriously and always bring that ultra-serious tone to their recordings (especially on the black metal side of extreme metal), but
He Who Shall Not Bleed is the work of a Swedish death metal band that obviously isn't afraid to have some fun. That isn't to say that
Dimension Zero are lacking in the brutality department. The fact that
Dimension Zero have a sense of humor and a sense of fun doesn't prevent the material on this disc -- which is best described as Nordic-style death metal with an awareness of both thrash metal and black metal -- from packing a brutal punch. But
Dimension Zero's sense of humor, combined with their ability to provide some melodic hooks, is clearly a plus on
He Who Shall Not Bleed (which was originally released by Toys Factory in Japan in 2007 and was re-released by Candlelight in the United States in early 2009). Stylistically.
He Who Shall Not Bleed doesn't break any new ground for
Dimension Zero, whose 2003 release, This Is Hell, is widely regarded as a stronger and more consistent outing. Even so, this is a generally decent effort from the thrashy Swedish death metallers. ~ Alex Henderson