Here to Stay
Artist: Deuteronomium
Label: Little Rose Productions
Length: 13 tracks / 37:09 minutes
Many accused Deuteronomium of inconsistency on their last album,
noting how they jumped from black to melodic death to alterna-thrash to
groove metal. No chance of that this time. They've picked the easiest-to-play
sound in their repertoire--groove deathpunk ala mid-90s Napalm Death and
Carcass--and slammed out a new album less than a year after Street Corner
Queen.
They actually call it "death 'n roll," but it's closer to pop punk
than rock. Detuned, growled, and coated with jagged armor, it is catchy
and accessible, but death fans can still raise their fists proudly. The
style is pretty similar to songs like "Black Raven" and "CCR" from Street
Corner Queen. The vocals have that phlegmy growl-sing identical to
Jeff Walker (Carcass, Blackstar), dropping into lower tones that sometimes
remind me of early Mortification or even Roger Martinez on Released
Upon the Earth. At first, not much more than the choruses can be understood;
but after reading through the lyrics a few times, you start catching the
verses, too.
The guys aren't poets, choosing the evangelistic route over art
for sure. They combine a laidback lyrical style with boldness, however,
to make for lines that fit the rolling music perfectly:
I'm not here to stay
forever
I gotta go and it
won't take long
Just a bang and no
me no more
But i have this moment
and you have it too, so what we gonna do?
(from "Here to Stay")
The coolest lyrical concept comes in "Terminator," which uses the
conflict and cyborg from the T2: Judgement Day film as an allegory
for our fight with sin and the enemy:
Take my shotgun, blow
off his head
I turn around and
look back to him
Like quicksilver balls,
the pieces gathering
Like nothing happened,
there he is again
So the battle still
keeps raging
I stop to load my
guns
Listen to Master's
directions
Speed back up to the
fight
With His words in
my mind
This is a fun album to drive to, although the lack of variety gets
old halfway through. About then you may wish, like me, for some of that
mix-n-match metal from the past. The guys do spice up their tight, Dr.
Pepper-fueled (hey, they're sponsored!) grooves with short leads and fills
that help to keep things interesting when the grooves lose their grip.
Seems like Deuteronomium is here to stay.
Josh Spencer (5/27/99)
