Deep Desolation: Rites of Blasphemy (2012)

Groovy

Groove metal is almost entirely an American phenomenon. Like most American-dominated branches of metal (e.g., glam metal, metalcore), it is largely derided by metal elitists. To be fair, they usually have a point. Even when it’s thoroughly infused with death metal (as with Lamb of God) there is definitely something too polished, too clean-cut, and generally too damn palatable about it.

Leave it to that bastion of metal awesomeness that is Poland to fix that. Deep Desolation’s Rites of Blasphemy quite literally answers the question, “What would groove metal sound like if the album cover was an amateurish drawing of hooded figures with a nude woman sacrifice?” I didn’t even know anyone was asking that question.


You know what an album cover like that usually signifies: Some filthy-sounding combination of black and death metal, with ugly vocals. Here, the vocals are a beefier Watain, and the music is an ultra-catchy, late Satyricon-influenced, mid-paced form of blackened death metal. With, of course, plenty of groove to the riffs. The solos tend toward slower versions of pure heavy metal style, and they throw in the occasional synthesizer or Oranssi Pazuzu-ian leads (check the opening track) for an added psychedelic flavor. The bass is nicely distorted as well, so there’s no shortage of raw abrasiveness on tap, despite how thoroughly accessible and catchy the tunes are.

The only significant drawback to this record is lack of economy. They know which songs are the best ones, so they jam on them a little longer, but every one of them is about twice as long as it needs to be. There’s also four minutes of garbage sounds split between the opening and an interlude, so that with only seven real songs it runs for nearly an hour. It could have easily been cut to half an hour. Still, if it’s this catchy, it’s worth listening to.

The Verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars



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