The mix between two Metal genres can be balanced in the way the musicians want, and no formula exist to inhibit the freedom of creating music. In Death/Thrash Metal this truth still reigns, because one can pull things to a more Death Metal-orientated way, or to a more Thrashy outfit, depending of what the musicians want to do. And the way shown by the international duet D.E.A.D will astonish many due what’s heard on “Of Vile and Hate”, the band’s first full-length.

The songs were written and recorded in Adelaide, Australia, with mixing done by Olof Berggren in Sweden, and they sound aggressive and nasty (but allowing some melodic parts to be heard clearly), and they have a defined appeal, what means that the aggressiveness and sharp outfit of the band’s music has a very good embodiment, because everything can be understood. The artwork and design were created by Will Clement in Melbourne, and it’s simple and straight, with things done in shades of black, white and gray.

The band is composed of one Australian musician (Adam) and a Swedish one (Niels), so different experiences are mixed, because it’s rough and brutal (as usually is heard from Australian Death Metal acts), but with refined arrangements and some melodic touches (one of main features of Swedish Thrash/Death Metal acts). The instrumental arrangements make things more interesting, adding a clear technical outfit to the songs. It’s full of energy and life, and it sounds very good to the ear.

“Before I Die”, “Morbid”, “Death Toll”, “The Manifest”, “Race to the Grave”, “Buried”, “Dead” and “The Spread” are inspired moments of a band that has a huge potential for the future, but that now is sounding great for fans of Death/Thrash Metal, with moments using Groove Metal touches (heard on “Dead”), on other sounding fast and furious, on other with a slow paced insight on the tempos, rich in instrumental arrangements, with screams and growls contrasting in some moments, and lovely melodic touches here and there. It’s not a sin to say that they follow a way similar to what THE HAUNTED did on its first release.

Taste “Of Vile and Hate”, and you won’t be losing your time. At last, be welcome, D.E.A.D!