In olden times, before I largely gave up trying to explain the appeal of extreme metal to my non-metalhead friends, I’d refer to the high energy, the explosiveness, the barely submerged aura of danger lurking beneath the surface, the sense of abandon and release that comes from listening. Usually, what I had in mind were various forms of turbo-charged death metal, both melodic and near-atonal, the kind that unleashes a blizzard of down-tuned guitar chords, machine-gun drum assaults, and inhuman roars in place of what conventionally passes for singing.
I’ve been thinking about those sentiments as I’ve listened to the new album from Poland’s Deivos, even though I rarely bother to explain myself to the uninitiated any more. What Deivos delivers is the kind of death metal that should appeal hugely to fans of bands like Decapitated and Origin — and I’m certainly one of those. The music — all of it — is a jet stream of head-whipping fury. You’d have to listen long and hard to the individual songs on the album to distinguish them in your mind after you finish listening, because they follow a very similar pattern. But the pattern is so damned appealing that, at least for me, this is a minor quibble.
And the pattern consists of this: Brutally fast, razor-sharp, blood-spattering riffage, blasting with the heat of an acetylene torch, segmented into massive slamming beats that deliver a physical jolt. Tempos that unpredictably stagger a step forward or a step back or just plain stomp on your neck, just to prevent you from getting too comfortable. Drums that follow a near-inhuman pace, a percussive holocaust designed to provoke a non-stop adrenaline rush. (more after the jump . . .)
Diseased guitar solos that either moan sickeningly in the background of the aural torrent or slither forward out of the chaos, like a serpentine creature trying to escape the maelstrom. Bestial barking vocals that well up from a deep, dark place.
That’s the pattern. It doesn’t change much over the course of the album, and I don’t much care, because I’ve gotten such an invigorating charge out of being swept along in the wake of this rushing machine. Demiurge of the Void captures many of those qualities I mentioned at the outset. It’s nearly atonal, relying instead on the fascination of speed and accuracy and unrelenting power. It provides, quite effectively, a vehicle for just letting yourself go.
To repeat: If you’re a fan of blistering, expertly executed, technical death metal in the vein of Decapitated, Origin, or Necrophagist, then Deivos is a band you need to know. Here’s a song that will give you a head-smashing sense of the album as a whole. Here’s “Code of A Dead Deity”:
[audio:https://www.nocleansinging.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/02-Code-Of-A-Dead-Deity.mp3|titles=Deivos – Code Of A Dead Deity]P.S. If you’re someone who thinks there’s not enough cowbell in metal, there’s another reason you need to dive in to Deivos.
P.P.S. Demiurge of the Void was recorded at the famed Hertz Studio in Poland and was released last month by Unique Leader. Digital copies are available from Amazon mp3 and iTunes. To find out more about Deivos, here are useful links:
16 Responses to “DEIVOS: “DEMIURGE OF THE VOID””
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Ever since I got this album last week, it’s been kicking my ass (in a good way, of course). From the monstrous growled intro of “No Gods Before Me” to the final winding riffs of “Panacea”, not once does it relent, and that’s exactly how I like it. Poland seems to have a disproportionately high number of awesome death metal bands, and Deivos are certainly one of them.
Poland certainly does seem to have a high number of high-speed, full-blast DM bands like this one, not to mention pulverising crushers like Behemoth and Hate. Pretty damned strong scene there.
I’m downloading it from Amazon on the train home. Faster, 3G, faster!
I know I’ll like them, based on the sample song, but I do feel like they could kick the speed up a few notches….
.
Note to self: next time just download at home. Looooong wait.
But fucking worth it!
There last album Gospel of Maggots is in my top ten for the decade as far as death metal goes. this band just rapes like a trillion demons all the time.
I have a fever, and the only prescription is…MOAR BLASTBEATS!!!
Normally, I would recommend hot whiskey, but these MOAR BLASTBEATS sound promising.
How about whiskey with a MOAR BLASTBEATS chaser? That sounds best of all.
Blastbeats are the number one doctor-recommended cure for colds, aches, sniffles, and projectile diarrhea. Blastbeats are not for everyone, and have known been linked to rare but serious side effects in non-metalheads, including bleeding from the ears and excessive pants-wetting. Consult your physician before listening to music with blastbeats. Women who are pregnant should not listen to blastbeats from Dying Fetus.
I do also love whiskey, although I prefer it with an ice cube or two.
A man after my own heart. A cube or two gives it just the right amount of chill, and the melted water cuts it just enough. But you don’t want anything to dilute the effect of MOAR BLASTBEATS. You gotta take that straight.
MOAR COWBLASTBELLWHISKEYBEATS!!
MOAR MOARMOARS!
And you all crazy. Don’t you know whiskey tastes best straight out the bottle?
Very good album. I’m loving it. And honestly you shouldn’t have to explain your love of extreme metal to others. Some get it. Some don’t. Simple as that. We all like what we like.
I eventually came to the same conclusion. You know, sometimes when you really love something, you want to convince other people (especially friends) why it’s worth the love, especially when your friends think you’re crazy. But you’re right — ultimately it comes down to people either getting it or not, and no amount of explaining changes that.
Excellent find, Islander. Got both albums last night. I have yet to listen to them, but I was highly impressed with “Code of a Dead Deity”.
Poland has been kicking ass lately.
Behemoth
Vader
Decapitated
and we can now add Deivos to the list.
Pretty decent album indeed. It reminded me of Gutted – Mankind Carries The Seeds Of Hell album.
Dissenter – Furor Arma Ministrat, Lost Soul – Chaostream + Immerse In Infinity or Azarath are also worth checking out.
Hey Jan, thanks for the comment. Azarath is the only one of these bands whose music I’ve heard, so I’ve clearly got some more music to check out.