DEADSCAPE were formed in 2015 and they are from Sofia, Bulgaria. They are a melodic Death Metal band and after having released one demo, "Of The Deepest Shade" is their debut full-length album. It was recorded by Simeon Panov at Bulgarian X3M Studio, and it was mixed and mastered by the legendary Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY; BLOODBATH; KATATONIA) at his Unisound Studio in Sweden. The album is an independent release and has a length of almost 50 minutes.

Bulgaria is surely not a country that is well represented on the international Metal map, but the Bulgarian Metal scene has always been active. There were a few Metal bands coming out of the country is recent years, with GWENDYDD being one example. DEADSCAPE are active already for a while and it took some time for band founder Ivan Bratoev to find the right line-up, which was eventually completed with guitarist Ani Dimitrova in 2019.

It may even be one of the very few positive things of the pandemic that it enabled (or forced) bands to focus on writing music, and "Of The Deepest Shade" was mainly created just prior or during the pandemic. DEADSCAPE's music is centred on melodic Death Metal, a genre that might look overcrowded at first sight. However, Melodic Death is multifaceted, covering a large variety of different layers and the sound on "Of The Deepest Shade" has this diversity with songs ranging from traditional melodic Death Metal to Gothic and Doom Metal influenced tracks.

The opener "To Ashes" is a piano driven instrumental and it is smartly used to build atmosphere. It points already to one feature of the album: a melancholic approach to Melodic Death. "To Ashes" transitions into "Forsaken", a song in measured, sluggish tempo with powerful guitar riffing, melancholic melodies, and growling female vocals at around the medium end of the guttural range, which are supported by the clean male vocals of Alexander Trifonov. Both vocalists complement each other very well, which gives the song an extra layer. The lead guitar solo contributes very well to the track. "The Brightest Light" maintains the melancholic atmosphere and the rhythm as well. The melodies and the lead guitars remind me on the Greg Mackintosh style of PARADISE LOST and they are a highlight not only on this track.

"The Artist" and "Stillborn" are more traditional melodic Death Metal songs. "The Artist" has a lot of features that could be part of an ARCH ENEMY classics, in particular the epic chorus melodies and the lead guitar solos. "The Artist" starts with an acoustic guitar intro before it transitions into a fast and aggressive verse part including short blast-beat parts. The chorus part is kept mid-tempo and riffs and melodies are catchy and anthem-esque. "Stillborn" is equally fast and the rhythm changes frequently between up-tempo and mid-tempo parts. The guitars driving the track and one main feature of the album is the excellent work of both guitarists and the way how they harmonize. "The Artist" is the official video release and the YouTube link is given below.

"In Desolate Silence" shows the diversity of the sound DEADSCAPE are able to offer: a variety of tempo and rhythm changes, the vocals of Mirela Kaneva vary from very aggressive deep growls to clean vocal parts, the riffing and the melodies range from mid-tempo Melodic Death classics to doom-laden and atmospheric melodies. "As Seasons Change" is an instrumental interlude to build on to the atmosphere before it transitions into "Witherer" which seamlessly continues with the complex structure and variety that has been introduced with "In Desolate Silence". The track is played in mid-tempo at its base, but there are frequent changes in both directions. The guitar riffing and melodies during the verse and chorus sections are catchy with both guitars driving the song forward and the vocals go with the melodies. The break comes a bit unexpected and it feels like being in a different song. "Witherer" shows that DEADSCAPE is not afraid to experiment in their songwriting and it works very well here.

"From The Colourless Skies" is one of the epic songs and one of the highlights on the albums in terms of guitar riffing, melodies, interplay between both guitarists, and the vocal contribution of both, growling female and clean male vocals. The middle break is second to none and the whole song has plenty of IRON MAIDEN vibes. "From The Colourless Skies" may have been the right song to close the album. "The Shadow Of The Clouds" is a more straightforward and aggressive during the verse section but maintains melancholic melodies and short acoustic breaks throughout. The lead guitar solo is excellent and fits in perfectly. "Ending" is a mixture between traditional Melodic Death and a Doom inspired melodic framework and the switches between both work out very well. Notably, there is another short acoustic break, a feature that is pretty common on the album. "The Ever-pouring Rain" closes the album in the same atmosphere as the album started.

"Of The Deepest Shade" is a remarkable album. It smartly combines different layers within the melodic Death Metal framework. Highlights are the guitars and the interplay of both guitarists, the vocal contribution, and the diversity in rhythm, melodies, and atmosphere. DEADSCAPE do not re-invent the Melodic Death wheel, but the way how they mix the variety of melodic Death Metal styles and influences deserves full credit. The songwriting is very mature and very promising, given that this is the debut album. The album is very well produced. DEADSCAPE set the bar very high for themselves but also for all the melodic Death Metal releases still to come this year. Melodic Death Metal fans can look forward to the future releases of this very promising band.