(Roadrunner/Century Media)

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The third album from Atlanta metallurgists Dååth is arguably their first real “band” album. Their self-released 2004 first album Futility and 2007 Roadrunner debut The Hinderers featured the core of guitarists Eyal Levi and Emil Werstler working with old vocalist Mike Kameron and a slew of session drummers. The Concealers, on the other band, features the same line-up that finished up the touring in support of The Hinderers — Levi and Werstler along with Chuck Billy-like new frontman Sean Z, bassist Jeremy Creamer and drum machine Kevin Talley, who’s played with everyone from Chimaira to Suffocation and Hate Eternal. What results is easily Dååth’s best, most focused and dynamic work — and one of the coolest sounding full-on metal albums so far this year.

Issued through an arrangement where Roadrunner will distribute the album and Century Media will promote it, The Concealers is certainly worth all the effort. Turbulent and inventive, yet effectively brutal, songs; fantastic, unorthodox guitar work; and the dependably amazing drumming of Talley, it is a welcome change from the thrash-by-numbers of the Lamb of God wannabes and the pointless revivalism of 3 Inches of Blood, et al.

Though it opens with the somewhat run-on-the-mill thrash of “Sharpen the Blades,” The Concealers quickly veers away from the ordinary with the bruising “Self-Corruption Manifesto” where Talley’s double bass/blast beat trade offs play counter to Levi and Werstler’s deliberate, crunching riffs. ”The Worthless” follows in much the same vein and, indeed, Dååth employ this push me/pull you approach to great effect throughout, making maximum use of Talley’s obvious rhythmic strengths. They’d be foolish not to.

The guitar tandem get all twisty-turny on “Unbinding Truth,” with the lush harmonic leads that underlie much of the song soaring off into frenetic, almost surf-rocky solos. Their dueling lead-work is superb throughout — and without seeming wanky, a la Dragonforce, who they are now on tour with — but there are several moments like the dazzling interplay on “Truth” scattered about that really make you go “wow.”

After storming out of the gates with “Blades,” Dååth don’t break out the thrash artillery all that much again until the second half of The Concealers, which is where most of the full-throttle moments are concentrated, as on the breakneck “Translucent Potency” and “Incestuous Amplification” or the oddly funky ass “Of Poisoned Sorrows.” This slow build is just another of the clever twists the band use here to avoid sounding so friggin’ obvious, and cheers to them for putting some genuine thought into not only the songs, but also the presentation and delivery.

To trot out the old cliché, the third time is definitely the charm for Dååth. The solid line-up, the (seemingly) solid label arrangement and the experience of a lot of touring behind The Hinderers has brought out the best of the band on The Concealers. While calling it their Reign In Blood or Practice What You Preach might be a bit of a stretch, Daath nevertheless deliver something of a minor classic with The Concealers that rightfully deserves all the attention it gets. Which, hopefully, will be a lot.

* * * * ½
(four-1/2 stars)

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