DEEDS OF FLESH

Hailing from Southern California, Deeds of Flesh plays brutal, grinding death metal in the vein of Suffocation (review page coming soon. well, someday). While there's nothing particularly original about their sound, they do it quite well, and they've been at it for nearly a decade. So far, I own only Path Of The Weakening, their third and latest album, but I plan to eventually acquire the rest of their output, including their debut EP, Gradually Melted. What I've heard so far seems promising.

-Kevin Akstin

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PATH OF THE WEAKENING (1999)

(reviewed by Kevin Akstin)

Warning: Do NOT purchase this album expecting standard, run-of-the-mill death metal. Far from being merely a head-thrashing good time, this is bone-crushingly, neck-snappingly brutal, making most bands in the genre seem almost tame by comparison. Technical riffs cut and slice with almost surgical precision, but the true essence of the music is provided by the rhythm section. The bass and drums are unusually high in the mix, and work together with the extremely down-tuned guitars to create a savagely percussive sound. This sound is heavily influenced by the legendary Suffocation (R.I.P.), but is not a blatant rip-off by any means. For one thing, the song structures are not as insanely complex as those of the aforementioned death metal gods, though the songs do take quite a few listens to fully digest.

The opening cut, "Indigenous To The Appalling (Mutinous Human)", establishes the band's presence with relentlessly pounding, inhumanly fast, rhythms, as well as lyrics telling the story of a deformed man who becomes a psychotic killer. It is interesting to note how realistic Deeds Of Flesh's lyrics are in comparison to the gore-ridden cliches used by so many like-minded bands. Topics range from death by mass starvation (the title track) to violent revenge against a cannibalistic race ("Execute the Anthropophagi") to genocide ("Summarily Killed") to "kids who kill" ("Sense of the Diabolic"). These disturbingly believable tales, when set to the musical backdrop described above, are far more compelling than most death metal lyrics. As was the case with Suffocation, there is a distinct grindcore influence that only serves to make the songs that much more chaotic.

Offerings like "Lustmord" and "I Die On My Own Terms" may be rather same-sounding, but there's no denying their sheer visceral force. The catchy, straightforward riff that predominates "Execute The Anthropophagi" stands out mainly because it's an exception to the cacaphony that much of the album is composed of. However, that's not to say that there aren't other highlights. "Sense Of The Diabolic" is also quite memorable, with a lightning-quick chug that just doesn't let up, and may well be the gem of this release. "Sounds Of Loud Reigns" is a bit less manic, but still perfect for some ultra-violent thrashing. The title track, one of the longest here at four-and-a-half minutes, has an almost epic feel to it, and is likely the best use of "story-telling" in death metal I've ever heard. The desperation of the starving travelers is communicated quite well through the song's frantic pacing, and the shrieking background vocals (a sharp contrast to the standard guttural grunt employed by the band's frontman) only add to the madness.

But for all these high points, Path Of The Weakening has enough flaws to keep it from being a truly excellent release. As I mentioned, some of the songs, while quite good, are a bit interchangeable, and two particular tracks serve to drag down the album's enjoyability factor. First of all, "Lustmord" is far less imaginative lyrically than the others (yes, I can understand the words with or without the lyric sheet), evoking a Cliff's Notes version of Cannibal Corpse with its violent misogyny. Normally, this wouldn't bother me too much, but I know that DoF is capable of much more. Secondly, the last track, "A Violent God", is just plain boring. Playing the same slow, ponderous riff over and over again with warped, distorted vocals was a creative idea, but it ultimately fails in its execution. Still, this a very good CD, recommended to fans of really brutal death metal. Though I'm not sure if very many outside that select group would enjoy it.

OVERALL RATING: 8

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