An Anglicized title referring to Passendale/Passchendaele, the Belgian site of a bloody 6-month battle in World War I, now synonymous with military incompetence and senseless loss of life. The British and Canadians (who suffered 15,654 casualties, with more than 4,000 dead, in just 16 days) fought the Germans over a muddy stretch of swamp. As a concept album, these ten tracks relate various historical aspects of the fray, particularly ‘Poison Fog’ (with its occasional clean voice), the horror of gas warfare that was unilaterally outlawed after “The Great War.” Most importantly, Henri Sattler’s vocals are gruff, but discernible, the listener able to comprehend the all too realistic lyrics.

Apart from the opening foreign tongued ‘The Cross Of Sacrifice’ voiceover, the songs are God Dethroned standards (is their name still warranted, with catchy melodies and such a scholarly pursuit?), but the concluding 2:57 instrumental ‘Artifacts Of The Great War’ melds triumphant victory marches into anthemic reverence for all the fallen. At its best, “Passiondale” recalls a (albeit just slightly) heavier Dark Tranquillity.

The album artwork has a period feel, with clever use of cemetery crosses superimposed on the outstretched wings of a blood spattered war eagle. Hopefully fans (and non-melodic death metalheads looking for something worthy of their time) will look beyond just the brutal lyrical themes to learn a little history. The album was recorded as a threesome, female guitarist Susan Gerl joining after its completion.