Tech Death Thursday: Deity
Deity are here to make sweet, sweet love to your ears. It’s Tech Death Thursday!
Guys, I fucked up. Deity initially put out their self-titled debut way back in June, and I’ve only just recently given it a full dedicated listen; for this, I have failed you. Deity play some prime thrashing death metal graced with the touch of tech death, but not guided solely by it. If you liked the recent Madrost release or the Pile of Priests song from last week, you need to get on this ASAP.
Trying to pinpoint a specific source of inpiration for these guys is tricky. There’s clearly some Schuldiner influence in a lot of the melodies, but it’s not outright Death worship. The near-constant counterpoint between the two guitars recalls Arsis, but it’s not quite as frantic (or cheesy). This is one of those beautiful instances of an amalgamation of obvious influences coming together to form something that sounds new and fresh, putting a new spin on old ideas.
After a brief piano intro, the one-two punch of “Beginning of Extinction” and “Sacrificium” set up the chaos that follows. The former is a mammoth eight-and-a-half minute death metal rager replete with imposing fifths harmonies and short bursts of dissonance. This isn’t the hazy modern Gorguts-style dissonance, though; it’s solid, designed more to feel like a fist to the gut than a choking fog. The multitude of tempo changes actually works in favor of the flow of the song, and it doesn’t feel nearly as long as it is. “Sacrificium” is more succinct, a straightforward thrash song that seethes with caustic venom. While the rest of the album shakes things up, these two songs form the basis of their sound at large, and you can get a reasonable idea of what to expect by checking them out.
Regardless of which way the mood of a particular song swings, it’s all supported by phenomenal musicianship. Core guitar duo Danny Alessandro and John Massey are equal parts style and substance, peppering their slick guitar work with nasty pinch harmonics and a subtle, tasteful vibrato. Flo Mounier of Cryptopsy delivers his characteristically relentless drums with a performance worthy of his main squeeze, and bassist Florian Ravet (formerly of Nephilium) goes note-for-note with the guitar virtuosos, occasionally taking the spotlight for himself (with a particularly glorious moment near the end of “From Which We Came”). Despite this being a debut, it sounds like the product of a band that has honed their sound to near-perfection over a full career.
Speaking of which, Deity’s production also belies its status as a debut. I’ve received a handful of solid death metal promos this year that are good musically, but are crippled by one or two production issues (usually in the way the vocals are EQ’d and mixed). This album suffers from no such woes; Chris Donaldson (also of Cryptopsy) provided an excellent mix, and each instrument carries plenty of weight and punch. Acoustic guitar instrumental “Of Time” sounds particularly good; it’s rich and dynamic, highlighting every little detail of the performance. It sounds great, and it does the music justice.
This is just an all around great album, not too flashy for those less inclined to tech death, but with enough showmanship to keep those who are entertained. The songs feel streamlined in spite of their length; besides, the riffs are so good you’ll want to keep listening anyway. If you want a good tech death/thrash band that isn’t Revocation, then give these guys your attention. Deity is out now, available digitally from the band and on CD through CDN Records. Be sure to check them out on Facebook, too. That’s I’ve got for you this week- until next time,
Do you have a band you would like to see featured? A new release we should keep an eye on? Or maybe you want to do some writing yourself? Then email us at techdeathtovh@gmail.com and make your voice heard!
