Review Summary: Returning to the roots of OSDM.
Swedish quartet Deranged are a slightly unique case to consider, presenting a sound that is simultaneously unexpected and also very familiar. The four piece, who adopted their name from the eponymous 1974 film, play a style firmly grounded in old school death metal, coupled with a healthy dose of grindcore and a refreshing ear for melody. What you might not expect of
Struck By a Murderous Siege, however, is that rather than resembling the iconic style of their countrymen, Deranged instead play a brand of death metal heavily influenced by the early American scene. Resembling Cannibal Corpse more closely than Entombed, the band’s latest offering employs a variety of techniques normally associated with their counterparts across the pond, resulting in an amalgam that harkens back to the infantile stages of the genre.
The core foundation of Deranged’s sound is colloquially referred to as ‘brutal’ death metal, taking obvious pages from the books of genre giants such as Suffocation, Deicide, the aforementioned Cannibal Corpse, and to a lesser degree Immolation. Beyond the immediate, though, is an attention to melody that isn’t so far removed from the Gothenburg scene closer to home, despite being assimilated into a much more aggressive foundation. Additionally, the band frequently adopt a mid-paced approach, setting themselves apart from their source material, most of which relies upon breakneck speed above all else. Indeed,
Struck By A Murderous Siege boasts everything from the grindcore inspired buzzing of ‘Cold Icy Hands’ to the lethargy of ‘Toy Box Torture Chamber’, all the while maintaining interest through varying riffs rather than the distraction of high-tempo chaos.
Of course, the tropes are still very much present here; gurgling vocals, a reliance on palm muting, down-tuning, pinch harmonics and of course blast beats – but without these elements the genre wouldn't be what it is, and thankfully Deranged are individual enough to impress their personality upon the music. Admittedly, the production can feel a little claustrophobic at times, the bass guitar is much too low in the mix, and the kick drum is often clicky, drained of the punchiness one would expect. But despite succumbing to a few predictable pitfalls, the band have unleashed an album that encapsulates the very core of primitive American death metal, and wouldn’t sound out of place coming from an early 90’s Floridian act. Deranged flaunt a sound on this album that, much like their band name and album cover, endeavours to revive an era past, and in that regard
Struck By a Murderous Siege is a resounding success.
