One of Death Metal's longest surviving acts, DEEDS OF FLESH needs no introduction as their brand of technically sound Brutal Death Metal has successfully avoided trends since 1993. "Portals To Canaan" is the latest effort from DEEDS OF FLESH and if you want a lesson in intricacy and sheer heaviness, you need not look further. "Portals..." is relentless, well produced, carefully executed, and easily my favorite Death Metal release so far in 2013. The band's classic brand of technically sound death metal is present on tracks like "Entranced in Decades of Psychedelic Sleep," however the band avoids bombarding the listener by carelessly shoving riffs down their throats. These songs are carefully crafted, making this album a solid and fluid listen despite its intricacy in a genre that seems to be moving away from technicality as time progresses.

For Brutal Death fans who enjoy their groove, it is still present and tracks like "Rise of the Virvum Juggernaut" display an affinity for MORBID ANGEL-esque chunks played over the pulverizing drumming of Mike Hamilton whose performance on this record is astounding to say the least. "Hollow Human Husks" also demonstrates the band's affinity for heavy groove with its crushing opening riff before its descent into mind numbing guitar excess. "Xeno Virus" is an all in one display of classic and current Death Metal with brutal blasts, excellent lead guitar work, tactically placed melodic undertones, and heavy chugs to satisfy any Death Metal fans desires. Although Erik Lindmark satisfies the vocal spot more than nicely and demonstrates a measure of diversity throughout the record with his transitions from mid-range growls to guttural lows, I miss the vocal diversity of Jacoby era DEEDS OF FLESH. While the playing of Peters, Munguia, and Lindmark is more than solid and even more impressive at times in terms of lead guitars and intricate time signature changes, the lack of vocal transitions in many of the songs border on the vocals sounding out of place at certain pivotal moments on the record, particularly the album's title track that contains a middle passage that begs and begs for a vocal delivery other than standard death metal growls and fails to receive it.

Regardless of this, "Portals To Canaan" definitely lives up to the expectations the band's five year absence demanded and hopefully will revitalize interest in this band of fantastic musicians. Last but not least, the cover of "Orphans of Sickness" pays tribute to one of Death Metal's best acts GORGUTS and gives the song a sense of modernity that certainly inspired me to dig up my old records from that band and jam them once again. In closing, both veterans and newcomers to the Death Metal scene will appreciate this album and should certainly give it more than one spin.