A few years ago Danish Dawn of Demise made my heart quiver delivering a debut album (Hate Takes Its Form) which outdid the hailed return of the Danes’ main influence, the mighty Suffocation. That album had precisely what many of the newer death metal acts fail to combine efficiently – songs which stood on their own, interesting riffs, quirky melodies and huge dose of brutality. Years ago, another Danish band Autumn Leaves released a monster of an album, only to fade into oblivion when their second effort took on decidedly popular, but overused Gothenburg angle. I was hoping Dawn of Demise would not follow suit.

After a quick gap-stop Lacerated EP, where only two songs were the new creations, Dawn of Demise unfolds their sophomore effort with A Force Unstoppable. While melodeath style is the last thing A Force Unstoppable resembles, several listens did not make my heart quite reach the same rate of speed. This is indeed a force unstoppable, but in one single dimension only.

Propped up by a strong modern sound, Dawn of Demise has maximized the brutal and groovy aspect of its death metal delivery. The groove can be faster or slower, but like the monster ocean liner in choppy ocean, the album just plows through one rolling wave after another. Whether thrashing a bit at the beginning (Leach the Blood) or opening up with a slower killer drag (Amongst the Tortured), Panterish groove ultimately takes over and blends A Force Unstoppable compositions in one burly grinding mosh. The frenzied aggression is oozing out of every pore, so if the main goal was to get the crowd pit going non-stop, that aim was fully accomplished. Too bad the quirkiness and individuality was lost in the process, quick melodic solos to end things in Multiple Flatlines and Awaken the Aggressor clearly not enough.

Scott Jensen commandingly roars his barks, but at times tries to reach for a truly bottomless growl. Perhaps the microphone is cupped in those moments making the vocals ineligible, which is not necessarily the worst thing when the forceful all-around beating is the main focus anyway.

As it is often the case with the albums following the mold, the compositions trying to break it become the most memorable. A quick harmonized moment in Heinous Acts of War makes it want to come back to this song. Regardless of how stiff and rigid the blast is in Bludgeon, that change of rhythm alone away from the overwhelming groove, as well as another quick melody, refreshes the prospective as well.

Where Hate Takes Its Form stood alone, as a single sniper-shooter, A Force Unstoppable joins the battalion of many soldiers. It does not mean Dawn of Demise is not capable of delivering the blow anymore, they simply donned the uniform also worn by others.