Then I finally heard Deus Otiosus "Opposer". Holy shit. This is a fantastic album in pretty much every aspect. Considering this just came out this year, when most death metal bands are still fighting to distance themselves from the extreme-thrash from which they were birthed, this album stands, a clear example of pure, full-on death metal. Sure, there is still some traces of thrash here. But the influence lies more in the tone of some of the riffs (check out “Haunter“ for an example of this), rather than the song structures, which consist of all the blasting speed, brutal slowdowns, and deranged solos that would define much of death metal. But what really stands out about this release is how fundamentally catchy and well-written these songs are, every song on "Opposer" bursts with energy and enthusiasm. Pretty much every riff on this one is a winner, and each track has enough hooks to not only make the songs memorable but fucking addicting. These guys obviously put a lot of time into making these songs as good as they could be, and it shows in every aspect of the album, blasting drumming, this is old-school death metal at its absolute finest. The more primitive playing on this album (though still pretty damn technical) definitely works in the band’s favor on this release, allowing the members to stop tripping over themselves to write music as technical as possible and just play the damn songs. Drummer’s unique reliance on the “backwards blast” gives the songs a great, off-kilter feel that suit’s the riffs perfectly, and raspier, higher-register vocals are way catchier and more effective than the endless grunting in Death Metal. Guitar and bass work are top-notch of course, and the production on this album is surprisingly good; with its hefty tone and instrument clarity. Deus Otiosus is a brilliant death metal band. Well played, well produced, innovative and catchy as fuck. And in old-school death metal, what else do you really need? A fucking great album!
www.deus-otiosus.com
facebook.com/deusotiosus.dk
www.greatdanerecs.com
Review by Paul Caravasi
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