DISMEMBER (2008)

What became to be the last album by Dismember, that's probably my favorite Death Metal band of all time, but that's another topic. On a Regain Records picture disc vinyl released on the 18th February of 2008 and also the promo CD for the album.

I've written before about how much I appreciate specifically promo CD's with a different cover artwork from the album release and here’s another one from my collection. Even if it's "just" a cropped part of the album release, it's still different and I do like this promo variant of the album. I might someday do an entire post about the ones I have. But enough collecting jerking off for now and on to the matter at hand so to say.

This was the 8th full length album by Dismember the 2 previous ones “The God That Never Was” (2006) and “Where Ironcrosses Grow” (2004) are both great, but in my opinion “Dismember” is a better record then those two. The album was their first record not to feature longtime original drummer, songwriter and later also producer Fred Estby. He wanted to tour less and focus more on his family as he said in a statement on their official homepage in April 2007.

He was replaced by Thomas Daun the former drummer of Repugnant (among others). On “Dismember” only vocalist Matti Kärki and guitarist David Blomqvist remains out of the 5 membres on their 1991 debut masterpiece “Like An Everflowing Stream” (1991).

“Dismember” starts out strong with Death Conquers All; Europa Burns; Under A Blood Red Sky and those sets the tone for rest of the album. It never slows down or get boring just total Dismember Death Metal madness throughout. They recorded “Dismember” with the Entombed bassist Nico Elgstrand .

On their 4 previous records Fred Estby had not just played drums but also produced, engineered and mixed with great success. I mean just listen to “Death Metal” (1997); “Hate Campain” (2000) or the ones I've mentioned earlier in the post one cannot dispute how important he was for Dismember in many ways. Despite that huge change the band still managed to make an absolutely amazing last album. In my opinion probably their best in 11 years since “Death Metal”.

They toured very extensively for the "Dismember" album 72 gigs according to setlist.fm (probably more because they're not always accurate) around Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North and South America.

On November 22nd of 2008 Dismember played a 20th anniversary gig at Debaser in their hometown Stockholm, Sweden. The idea was to have everyone who once was a member in the band to play but what made it so special was that they used the lineup during different periods of the band.

1988-1990 David Blomqvist, Fred Estby & Robert Sennebäck (original vocalist, later guitar) started the show and played:
- Deathevocation
- Substantially Dead
- Deranged From Blood

Then they were joined by Matti Kärki & Richard Cabeza for the 1991-1997 material:
- Override Of The Overture
- Soon To Be Dead
- Skin Her Alive
- Pieces
- Dreaming In Red
- Collection By Blood
- Stillborn Ways
- Killing Compassion

For the 1998-2002 lineup Magnus Sahlgren & Sharlee D’Angelo replaced Cabeza & Sennebäck:
- Patrol 17
- Hate Campaign

The lineup 2002-2005 Martin Persson & Johan Bergebäck replaced Sahlgren & Sharlee  D’Angelo:
- Where Ironcrosses Grow
- Tragedy of the Faithful

The 2005-2008 lineup when Tobias Cristiansson replaced Johan Bergebäck:
- Time Heals Nothing
- Autopsy

For the 2008 songs Thomas Daun replaced Fred Estby:
- Death Conquers All
- Under A Blood Red Sky
- The Hills Have Eyes

Then everyone joined in for the encore:
- Casket Garden

Dismember played 2 more gigs during 2008. After that they did 2 more festival gigs in Germany 2011 Death Feast Open Air and their very last one at Protzen Open Air 2013.

In October of 2011 the statement came that Dismember had broken up, however there's been rumors about a reunion for their 30th anniversary in 2018. Let us fucking hope so!!

The Dismember saga is over but what a ride it was.







For me the classic lineup will always be from left to right: Robert Sennebäck (guitar), David Blomqvist (guitar), Fred Estby (drums) down from left: Richard Cabeza (bass) & Matti Kärki (vocals) here on a poster that I got in 1994 and used to hang proudly on the wall in my boyhood room when I was 14 years old.