ALBUM REVIEW: Drowned By Humanity – Deserted Fear
The German death metal scene is on fire at the moment. SULPHUR AEON decided to ruin end-of-year lists by dropping one of 2018’s most incredible albums just 10 days before 2018 came to a close; NAILED TO OBSCURITY have just released their Nuclear Blast Records debut, showcasing a doomier, more emotional side to the genre; OBSCURE INFINITY are set to drop a wicked compilation this month and the long awaited follow-up to 2015’s Perpetual Descending Into Nothingness, Into The Vortex Of Obscurity, in March; and there’s the promise of new albums from DAWN OF DISEASE and REVEL IN FLESH on the horizon as well. But, currently leading the charge, central-Germany’s DESERTED FEAR are gearing up for the release of their second Century Media Records full-length, Drowned By Humanity.
Since their formation in 2007, DESERTED FEAR have been on a trajectory for greatness. With My Empire proving to be a strong debut, and Kingdom Of Worms serving as a perfect example of how to make the traditional, old-school style of death metal relevant and exciting in the modern day, the band found themselves signing with the prolific Century Media Records for their 2017 offering, Dead Shores Rising (read our review here). For all it’s strength, Dead Shores Rising felt like a slight dip following Kingdom Of Worms – but now, in 2019, DESERTED FEAR are back once again with Drowned By Humanity, proving that German death metal reigns supreme.
Following the short, synth-driven intro track, DESERTED FEAR dive straight into one of Drowned By Humanity‘s immediate highlights: All Shall Fall. Kicking things off with a riff taken straight from AMON AMARTH‘s playbook, DESERTED FEAR blend big, hook-laden melodies with a healthy dose of old-school brutality, making All Shall Fall an incredibly strong opening statement for how the Germans’ fourth offering will develop. Leading into An Everlasting Dawn, it becomes clear that DESERTED FEAR‘s brand of old-school death metal is a blended mix, combining the signature sounds of three of the genre’s most iconic, formative scenes – the melody of Gothenburg, the raw savagery of Stockholm and the crushing brutality of Tampa.
Video singles The Final Chapter, Reflect The Storm and Welcome To Reality drive Drowned By Humanity into its second half. The Final Chapter sees DESERTED FEAR deliver one of the biggest tracks on Drowned By Humanity, again channelling their inner AMON AMARTH with utterly huge melodies and hooks juxtaposing their ferocity. The melody and hook-filled nature of The Final Chapter takes a step away from centre stage as the band charge through Reflect The Storm, and while the 27-second interlude Across The Storm feels surplus to requirements, Welcome To Reality is a dark and viscous blast, certain to be a crowd pleaser in the live environment.
Where the first half of Drowned By Humanity was extremely melodic, bring a memorable, hooky nature to the songs, as we get into Side B the melody acts as a much more ominous element to the sound. A Breathing Soul is absolutely crushing in its delivery, while Sins From The Past is absolutely visceral and Scars Of Wisdom brings a healthy dose of groove to the party. Drowned By Humanity comes to a close with one-two of bonus tracks Die In Vain and a rerecorded version of Tear Of My Throne, a bonus track from the 2018 reissue of My Empire. On both bonus tracks, we see DESERTED FEAR double down on the groove introduced with Scars Of Wisdom, blending it with their trademark melody and savagery.
Aside from the filler Intro and the short interlude of Across The Open Sea, there is very little to bemoan with Drowned By Humanity. DESERTED FEAR‘s fourth full-length is a brilliant step forward from 2017’s Dead Shores Rising, showcasing stronger song-writing all around. Though Drowned By Humanity does lack innovation in pushing death metal forward, and does feel a little safe at times, this is a masterclass in just how much fun old-school death metal can be, even 30+ years into the genre’s existence. When the end product is this good, who can’t forgive a little lack of uniqueness?
Rating: 8/10
Drowned By Humanity is out now via Century Media Records.
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