Louisville, Kentucky boasts a notable indie-rock
legacy, but the city has a deep history in hardcore and metal, too, with
several unironically true-blue metal acts (Kinghorse, Coliseum) having cut
their teeth there. Dead Child—which finds guitarists David Pajo (Slint,
Papa M) and Michael McMahan (The For Carnation, Slint's touring lineup),
bassist Todd Cook (Shipping News), and drummer Tony Bailey (Lords) backing
surname-free vocalist Dahm—is Louisville's latest metal export, and in
spite of recording for an indie-friendly label with producer Brad Wood (Liz
Phair, Say Anything), the band approaches metal without the expected indie-dude
detachment or dilettantism. Unfortunately, Dead Child also approaches metal
without the songs that made its influences—early Metallica and Judas
Priest—legendary. Attack signifies classic thrash and power-metal well
enough: The galloping riffs, dueling leads, and upper-register vocals are all
where they need to be. But Dead Child can't deliver a memorable melody to save
its life, and for all its warmth, Wood's production fails to add the equally
vital muscle and low end found in far greater '80s-thrash throwbacks like Black
Tide and Shadows Fall.