The road has been a little rocky for Kentucky metalcore act Dreaded Dale. The last few years have seen the band deal with injuries, a revolving door of band member changes, and struggles with faith, which all led to an unexpected hiatus. But the Dale seems to be back at it again, and they're finally releasing a single that they've had in the chamber for a while now.

"Deception" is a beast of a track that works as a great introduction (or reintroduction, even) to what Dreaded Dale has to offer. It's a big, beefy metalcore jam, with riffs for days and powerful screams and growls from vocalist Mykey Root. Additionally, the band brought Phinehas' own Isaiah Perez into the studio to lay down the drums. As expected, the drums are wild, impressive, and super tight. The fierce sound perfectly matches the theme of the song, which sees the band calling out the world and its neverending supply of falsehood. Root holds nothing back as he says, "Nothing reliable in what they say / they bring destruction in their wake / their throat is an open grave / they flatter us with pitchfork tongue / backbiting, cancerous snakes / suffocating the life out of us all." But he's also careful to be humble and honest about his own flaws. In the spoken word section at the end, he lays himself bare and calls on Jesus, saying, "Never again will I fall into the same snares I've been begging for release from. Oh sweet freedom, it has a name. Drug addiction, lust, and shame, nailed upon a King to finally take away every single last bit of condemnation settling upon my name." Root balances the boldness of confronting the sin in others and the wisdom of dealing with his own, and it works well for the song's overall message.

When Dreaded Dale released a series of singles a few years ago, I was excited to see where they would go. I was just as disappointed when they unfortunately fell silent shortly thereafter. But it's really great to see that they're back to business. Hopefully, "Deception" is only the beginning of big things to come.

- Review date: 12/10/24, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com

Record Label: None
Album length: 1 track: 4 minutes, 41 seconds
Street Date: December 27, 2024

1. Deception (4:41)