Many accused Deuteronomium of inconsistency on their last album, noting how they jumped from black to melodic death to alterna-thrash to groove metal. No chance of that this time. They've picked the easiest-to-play sound in their repertoire--groove deathpunk ala mid-90s Napalm Death and Carcass--and slammed out a new album less than a year after Street Corner Queen.
They actually call it "death 'n roll," but it's closer to pop punk than rock. Detuned, growled, and coated with jagged armor, it is catchy and accessible, but death fans can still raise their fists proudly. The style is pretty similar to songs like "Black Raven" and "CCR" from Street Corner Queen. The vocals have that phlegmy growl-sing identical to Jeff Walker (Carcass, Blackstar), dropping into lower tones that sometimes remind me of early Mortification or even Roger Martinez on Released Upon the Earth. At first, not much more than the choruses can be understood; but after reading through the lyrics a few times, you start catching the verses, too.
The guys aren't poets, choosing the evangelistic route over art for sure. They combine a laidback lyrical style with boldness, however, to make for lines that fit the rolling music perfectly:
I'm not here to stay forever
I gotta go and it won't take long
Just a bang and no me no more
But i have this moment and you have it too, so what we gonna do?
(from "Here to Stay")
The coolest lyrical concept comes in "Terminator," which uses the conflict and cyborg from the T2: Judgement Day film as an allegory for our fight with sin and the enemy:
Take my shotgun, blow off his head
I turn around and look back to him
Like quicksilver balls, the pieces gathering
Like nothing happened, there he is again
So the battle still keeps raging
I stop to load my guns
Listen to Master's directions
Speed back up to the fight
With His words in my mind
This is a fun album to drive to, although the lack of variety gets old halfway through. About then you may wish, like me, for some of that mix-n-match metal from the past. The guys do spice up their tight, Dr. Pepper-fueled (hey, they're sponsored!) grooves with short leads and fills that help to keep things interesting when the grooves lose their grip. Seems like Deuteronomium is here to stay.
3.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #78Reviewed by Doug Van PeltHere's a misleading image - a nice big hog (motorcycle) picture on the front of the new Here To Stay album by Finland's Deuteronomium. Anything but biker music, though... These guys tear it up with tight, classic-metal influenced hybrid metalcore stuff. The drumming and guitar lead playing are just absolutely killer. These guys have been at it since '93, creating extreme death metal and mixing…Art for the Ears 1999Reviewed by Marco PovervestA long, long time ago, it was 1993, I first heard about Deuteronomium. A metalband from Finland was something new to me and thus my attention was attracted. A criminal, hardly readable logo showed what I could expect: Deathmetal. I listened to the demo Paths Of Righteousness and I decided to buy it. It was really deathmetal with vocals of Manu Lehtinen and Miika Partala. Anno domini 1999 these…HM Magazine #73Reviewed by Doug Van PeltEarning the biggest tongue-twister for a name category, this Finnish outfit also comes to the plate with some credible hard music. They mix hardcore fury with thrashy and death metal guitars and some grungy low end to produce a unique 'n' heavy sound. Occasionally the vocals will come screeching out a la black metal style. Fans of Cradle of Filth, Embodyment and Zao will probably be into this…Similar sounding releases
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1999MindrageSown in Weakness, Raised in Power
