ALBUM REVIEW: The Deceivers – Dååth
In what will be a true surprise for those who remember the Atlanta metal outfit, the long hiatus (and assumed disbanding) of DÅÅTH is over. A whole 14 years have passed since their last self-titled release, and it’s been almost 17 years since they originally signed with Roadrunner Records for their seminal album The Hinderers. While the band continued for a few years after The Hinderers was released, their momentum slowed gradually, and it could only be assumed that they were over for good.
Arriving back on the metal scene in 2024 with The Deceivers after such a massive gap might seem odd at first, but returning member Sean Zatorsky (vocals) and founding member Eyal Levi (guitarist) quickly prove that they have no shortage of ideas on an album that is bursting with passion and innovative twists on their decades-old sound. A selection of metal alumni completes the new line-up, including Rafael Trujillo (guitar, ex-OBSCURA), Kerim “Krimh” Lechner (drums, SEPTICFLESH, ex-DECAPITATED), David Marvuglio (bassist, RARE FUTURES), and Jesse Zuretti, a composer who provides orchestration and additional instruments.
The result of this new team up is evident from the get-go on the opening track and first single for the album No Rest No End. Their sound was fluid even during their initial run as a band, partly (but not fully) due to the change of vocalist that occurred in the year following the release of 2007’s The Hinderers. The earlier death/groove metal sound is largely still intact on the opening track, but the symphonic elements seen on their pre-hiatus releases are massively dialled up on this album, with Hex Unending showing off this early on. This works to the benefit of The Deceivers and gives the album a broader and more impactful scope, with other tracks like Unwelcome Return channelling the theatrical elements of the likes of LORNA SHORE, while not taking up too much space in the overall mix and falling into FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE territory.
The Deceivers could be largely described as a death metal album, and as much can definitely be said for the ferocious With Ill Desire and the contrarily-titled The Silent Foray. There’s no shortage of bone-crushing riffs and rapid drumming throughout, but the elements that have given DÅÅTH their edge in the past can still be heard after all this time. Zatorsky’s vocals pair perfectly with Levi’s guitar work and continue to give the band their groove metal slant. There’s also a melodic death metal presence on several tracks – Unwelcome Return opens in an (almost) AT THE GATES manner before the speed picks up to pure death metal standards, but the guitarists aren’t averse to throwing the odd guitar solo in during opportune moments to keep things leaning towards the more melodic side.
Enough time has passed between their self-titled release and The Deceivers to make it difficult to draw direct comparisons between their previous work and this new release. With that being said, the current incarnation of DÅÅTH have come together to create the most focused and well-crafted album of the band’s career so far. The quality of this release hammers home how much the band have been missed during their absence, and the injection of new blood from across the metal spectrum has pushed them into new territory for this next step of their career.
Rating: 9/10
The Deceivers is set for release on May 3rd via Metal Blade Records.
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