Devolution
Deer Blood
•
June 28, 2015
I'll admit; after opening DEER BLOOD's album and finding myself faced with a total of 13 decent-length tracks, I was slightly apprehensive. What if it was shit? What if I was going to have to listen to 13 badly written and badly performed songs? Thankfully this was not the case, and I knew I was safe as soon as the first track was halfway through.
The band chooses to begin "Bushmaster" with a kind of deep-south American vibe that's reminiscent of the opening credits for Breaking Bad, before transitioning gloriously into a heavy, electric Thrash sound. The vocals which kick in fairly quickly sound more than a little Grunge-influenced; remaining clean all the way through the record and sounding slurred at times, despite the fact that it's almost impossible to tell the band are French and not from a country that speaks English as a first language.
This first track contains a lengthy instrumental section in which these vocals are completely absent, and in this part and ones like it the true stars of the album step forward. The guitars here are phenomenal, harking back to old-school 80's Thrash Metal with some admittedly simple riffs technically, but which carry a staggering amount of energy and are impossible not to get into as the sound is just so accessible.
The intro for the title track "Devolution" is the catchiest riff of the album, and introduces a bit of groove into the mix. This focus on the guitars once again highlights the possible shortcomings of the vocals, which sound Punk-influenced with their persistent clean sound and the way they are shouted, occasionally as a group. Unfortunately the lyrics are largely forgettable, as what the guitars and drums are doing is simply far more interesting. The album's closing track "Lone Wolf" sounds especially like classic-era Thrash, and the vocals sound even more at odds with the music because of this as they are mixed more loudly than the guitars. This difference in sound can probably be attributed to the final four tracks here being from another release, though.
This is a release that is double-bass heavy, full of lean, tasty riffs, and is exceptionally easy to understand musically. What brings it down slightly is the strange vocals, which by no means ruin the record; only affect it slightly. In any case, fans of Hard Rock could very well be interested in this after giving it a listen, as well as more intense Punk listeners or 80s Thrash Metalheads. It's rare that a debut album sounds as fresh as this while at the same time paying homage to its predecessors, and for that reason it needs to be supported.
9 / 10
Almost Perfect
"Devolution" Track-listing:
1. Bushmaster
2. Devolution
3. Born Strong Live Young Die Hard Born Again
4. Altar of Lies
5. Trapped Inside
6. Open Letter of Rage
7. Means to an End
8. War of the Roses
9. Scared to the Bone
10. Fist of Fury*
11. Annihilation*
12. Killing Engine*
13. Lone Wolf*
* Killing Engine EP Remastered tracks
Deer Blood Lineup:
Alexandre Bourret - Vocals, Guitars
Julien Doucin - Guitars
Julien Prost - Bass
Fabien Petit - Drums
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