Deserted Fear – My Empire
“Death the brutal way”? Indeed! Germany’s Deserted Fear unleash pure death metal. They do so by holding close the ancient flame of the genre to write within a mindset that upholds an aura often found arising from Swedish soil, by way of the Netherlands (if that makes any sense). My Empire is nothing new in regards to a band contributing something fresh to an already well established sound, BUT their execution is deadly accurate and songs are full of excellent riffs and interesting structures. Mixed and mastered by the legendary Dan Swano, this album detonates with detuned guitar fury… the tone hits you like the stench of decaying innards and a cutting snare drum further tightens up Deserted Fears attack. Not a blast beat to be found on here (yes!) which greatly appeals to my love for the old death metal charm. Instead, energetic d-beats devour with cadaveric intensity and the band offers many different tempo dynamics, allowing for memorable harmonies to rise atop the aggression as found on the excellent track, “Bury your Dead”. This song fades out with a mournful melody, putting me in mind of old Dismember. For a young band, there’s a lot of musical maturity on display here amidst the Martin Van Drunen-isms vocally (Mahne really nails it on occasion), and the interesting turns in each track also keeps things moving along and sounding fresh. From moments of catchy technical guitar work, to more simplistic, yet bruising power chord based rhythms, Deserted Fear bleed their masters and consume this sacrifice to make their songs well rounded, familiar, though never buckling to the seductive Sirens of plagiarism. My Empire really is a well-written and monstrous slab of death, sure to impress all of you who continue to support and love this genre of music. I know I will be enjoying this release and looking forward to any input that will be arising from the Deserted Fear camp in the future. -Marty
FDA Rekotz
Worm Gear 