Album Review: Dethonator – Race Against The Sun: Part Two (Self Released)

Originally forged in the East Midlands of England and now established in London, Dethonator are an exciting, four-piece Heavy Metal band. Starting out as teens in the summer of 2002, the band have honed their craft over nearly two decades.

In 2019, Dethonator released their most diverse and colourful album to date, ‘Race Against The Sun: Part One’. This acclaimed album features current live favourites ‘Nightmare City’, ‘Pyroclastic’ and ‘When Lucifer Fell’. Having earned a formidable reputation for their hi-octane, exhilarating live performances and their immediate, anthemic songs, Dethonator’s fan base has been steadily growing in the U.K. and Europe.

Now, Dethonator are set to unveil their most ambitious project to date. The upcoming album ‘Race Against the Sun: Part Two’ is to be released on 27th November 2020.

Race Against the Sun: Part Two is a narrative concept album retelling Bram Stoker’s famous gothic horror novel… Dracula. The album features a single complete work that is divided into seven tracks.

Well, what more can be said about this ambitious undertaking other than “wow”.

Dethonator have crafted a concept album that feels like you’re part of the Dracula novel. They’ve encapsulated the beauty and horror of the story through the medium of progressive metal and stuck as solidly as possible to the narrative through the lyrical content. It is a fascinating listen, one that conjures up the gothic grandeur of the legendary horror author’s work in a way that few can effectively do.

It might be split into 7 parts but the way to experience Race Against the Sun: Part Two is to hear it as one complete piece of work. Exactly as it was intended to be. That is how you get drawn in. That is how you come under the spell of both the vampire and his thralls, Dethonator.

They are slaves to the story but beyond capable of telling it in a unique way. A very heavy metal way which means even non-fans of the Dracula story can find themselves drawn in with ease.

Ignoring the concept (if such a thing was possible), what Dethonator deliver here is a roaring and heavyweight slab of heavy metal. The kind with urgent riffing, thumping percussion and snarling, power-infused vocals. Warped by a modern progressive edge and with overtly gothic effects and tone. They’re a delight to listen too, which should be easy to understand considering the longevity of the band already.

Releases like this are just going to add to that longevity though as it’s easily one of 2020’s finest concept albums. Few manage to capture their ideas so perfectly.

Simply brilliant. The moment it ends, the sun rising to put an end to the vampiric tale, you’ll want to plunge back into the darkness immediately.

Dethonator – Race Against the Sun: Part Two Full Track Listing:

1. For the Dead Travel Fast
2. Transylvanian Ways
3. Wreck in Whitby
4. A New Kind of Maniac
5. Beautiful in Death
6. Blood of My Blood
7. Race Against the Sun

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