Technical Death Metal you have in one hand and in the other you have Technical Brutal Death Metal. In terms of brutality, the scale favors the latter. As obvious as that might seem even a style like progressive metal can be brutalized if applied the right way and I believe "Passages Into Deformity" accomplished that fairly nice.

With such a effort coming from DEFEATED SANITY, "Passages Into Deformity" is not exactly an easy album to listen to. If you are truly dedicated in getting something from this album you'll have to listen through it several times. So much is coming at you that your mind cannot bear to be at ease until it comprehends the album more. It's definitely a fascinating and interesting album not just another "Look how fast I can play" or "I am the most brutal and goriest band on the face of the planet." I think it's great that DEFEATED SANITY focus more on the music rather than trying to top who has the goriest album cover. As you can see they were quite humble about it, I mean it's defecating but not wildly explicit. The damage and orifice mutilation is in the music itself. The slow and torturous method but also the mechanically complex contraptions of unthinkable proportions, conceiving severe punishment in small segments at some of the most excruciating pain.

Are Jacob Schmidt and Lille Gruber post-rejected Siamese twins? Even though they each have their own bodies they could've fooled me. Their chemistry with their playing is so in sync it's as if they share one body. What they do in this album is just incredible. The production on this album favorably accommodates Schmidt and Gruber. Creating Jazz-fusion bass lines in a few sections, which I am a sucker for. He's also able to compliment Gruber's playing as he fires aggressive progressive drum lines. The drumming is fantastic, no words can explain it. The years have been fortunate as they have matured his style, techniques and the choices he makes unto the album. On the downside the production flaws the guitar work of Christian Kuhn. I had to adjust my volume to a specific level or else it sounds completely obnoxious if it peaks a certain level. However, while his playing is not the best it sure works great here. I'm absolutely not a fan of slamming Metal but it was sufficient. I actually started to play some air riffs along the way; I got sucked in the music.

Again, Gruber brought out the best in everyone that's probably why I found the riffs enjoyable. To finish the album off he goes into a drum solo on "Martyrium" and while the album ends, it'd be wise to hear the album once again.