ALBUM REVIEW: Apotheosis – Deiquisitor
Who doesn’t love a dose of good old fashioned death metal? With the genre embracing a renaissance in recent years metal fans have been spoilt with an array of young and upcoming bands and also some seasoned veterans showing that they are more than capable of keeping up with the young upstarts of the scene.
DEIQUISITOR are a band with some pedigree. Although many may not have heard of them outside of the Danish metal scene from which they hail, drummer Henrick B.C and guitarist/vocalist Thomas F.J have accomplished plenty and contributed plenty more within the underground scene. Once the boys added bassist Daniel A to their fold the band really kicked on, releasing a number of extended plays and to date three full-length albums. Now in 2023 the band are back with their latest offering Apotheosis, and they’re ready to take things global.
The band waste little time in laying down their mission statement with the bludgeoning opener Humanoid; a frenzied attack of frantic riffs and gut-shaking guttural vocals all soaring over the top of a cavalcade of intricate yet sonically battering drums. Striving For Destruction picks up the baton and runs with it. Another visceral display of pulverising blast beats and chugging riffs, this is mosh-pit fodder and something that will undoubtedly cause unmitigated chaos in venues around the world. The energy on display here from the Scandinavian veterans is infectious. This is an album that sends energy through the speakers and demands attention.
The Eye Of Worms is a real highlight of the album. The track is a perfect example of the might of the old school death metal sound captured with modern technology. The mix is perfect, managing to sound polished and clear without taking any of the raw power and jagged edges away from the song itself. And it is in that balance that the band have found their sound. Another perfect example is Reflected By The Void with its use of dissonant chords in the introduction and off-kilter stop/start delivering being captured perfectly with the aim to harness the catastrophic power being pushed forth by the musicians.
The back end of the album shows no signs of slowing the pace or taking the foot off of the proverbial throat. Atomic Assassins produces some of the most infectious riffs on the entire album, all the while being driven forward by the almost inhuman drumming and throat-shredding vocals. This is relentless savagery, the kind that you would expect to be hearing from a band ten to 20 years DEIQUISITOR’s junior, and that is to mean no disrespect. The band are currently showing the younger generation exactly how old school death metal should be done in 2023.
DEIQUISITOR are not the kind of band that are going to write 15-minute progressive metal songs. Nor are they the type to throw sickly-sweet melodic hooks and accessible choruses. What they are is a brutally efficient, exciting, and intimidatingly brutal death metal three-piece who have set out solely to riff hard, headbang and cause as much sonic devastation as they possibly can. Apotheosis is an album that may be a victim of its release date. There is still a lot of music to come in the following 11 months of the year, but if you keep this album in your mind’s eye then it will more than likely find its way into your end of year list.
Rating: 9/10
Apotheosis is set for release on January 20th via Extremely Rotten Productions / Night Shroud Records.
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