The vast subgenre of Skramz/Screamo was a world that I hardly dipped my toes into back in my formative years, but over time, went continuously deeper. Dreamwell is one of the bands that were just a little deeper below the surface, and also mixed in post-Hardcore and a dash of Atmospheric Black Metal. 

Photo credit: Nat Lacuna

Their latest album, Hymns For The Denial Of God (Prosthetic Records), shows their continuous growth as a collective unit, punishing listeners for ten tracks over the course of a half hour.

“Anti-Christ’s Testimony” starts off with a feral bass line and a clean guitar riff over the top before exploding with distortion. The tempo kicks up and eventually builds up to a mosh and breakdown outro that leaves a stamp at the end of the first third of the record.

“A Crisis Of Realization” is the very next track and really leans into the early 2000s Screamo style, which really captures a sense of something new and fresh, yet also nostalgic. The bridge returns to clean guitar riffage and clean vocals, but eventually returns to the main theme with saddening chord progressions and overlapping harsh and clean vocals.

“Your Ichthys Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore” is the shortest on Hymns For The Denial Of God at a hair above two minutes but gets right to the point right in the title. This track goes right after the hypocrisy of modern-day Christians and how they live their lives in a manner that is certainly not Christian.

Dreamwell, again, has impressed me, this time in the form of Hymns For The Denial Of God. Every track has its own feel and overall character. Even the instrumental interlude “Apostates & Gentiles” helps transition to the second half of the record. I have little doubt that this album, just like its predecessor, will make it into my end-of-year list of favorite records.

Buy the album here:
https://dreamwell.bandcamp.com/music

8 / 10
TIM LEDIN
Follow his work here:
Follow his Twitch channel: