Deadsoil "The Venom Divine" CD
[Lifeforce]
Nice. This German act features an impressive lineup consisting of ex-members of Copykill, Drift, Six Reasons to Kill, and Night in Gales playing a highly metallic form of European metalcore with a solid mix of crushing mosh rhythms and chunkier picking patterns with a few thrashier metal runs that totally kick ass. The vocals are searing yells with a good level of texture, comparable to what I personally think of as a standard of European metalcore. Most of the songs run three to four minutes and keep things tight and focused without any bullshit, and that's a big part of what makes this a powerful record. Out of nowhere "History Retold", the fourth track, busts into a brief yet very openly melodic chord progression with some singing vocals during the chorus and it actually rules, so it's something I think the band could definitely take farther in the future. The singing in "Demons Hands" is more focal and isn't quite as strong, it offers a cool contrast, but it's somehow less effective, so there's still room for nailing it down. "Grey Cube" brings in more caustic and dissonant chords typical of the more chaotic brand of metalcore, but the rhythmic focus here keeps things moderately paced and controlled. "Hate" and "Hellsphere" are among the more metal-based tracks, bringing in a lot of modern thrash influences comparable to acts like The Haunted and such, still possessing a hardcore drive to the pacing though. Were the production a little smoother this shit would absolutely smash faces left and right. It sounds pretty damn good, but it needs a little cleaning up to make sure the beefy heaviness achieves maximum impact. The vocals sound killer already, and I like the clarity of the percussion, but the bass needs definition and the drums could use a bit more warmth. The guitar tone is definitely heavy as fuck so I'd only want to hear it smoothed over for an equally heavy but barely more controlled attack. As with most releases on this label the design looks killer, with a consistent appearance using subtly rough text arrangements, a few dirty textures, and a tight color palette - all on thick glossy stock. The lyrics are a nice match for the bleak visuals as well: "God's soul sleeps downstairs under shadows, While I have to struggle with my inner demons, Save your prayers, my faith is gone, I am suffering, all alone..." Not bad at all for a debut full-length. I could definitely argue that this is a stronger record than the majority of what I heard from their former outfits. There's more power and energy to the writing and that pays off. I'll look forward to their next run at it. (7/10)
Running time - 34:53, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: The Promise, History Retold, Hellsphere]
Lifeforce Records - http://www.lifeforcerecords.com

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