### Deeds of Flesh: Crown of souls

#### 11/06/07 || Daemonomania

Ugh. Why do people like this album? I doubt even the biggest fan of BROOTAL death metal could tell the difference between tracks 5 and 6 on this slab of headache-inducing clatter.

Yes, Deeds of Flesh kick out the relentless jams on “Crown of Souls.” Do you like tick- tocky drums, buried guitar riffs, subterranean vocals, and slam riffs? Then oh baby, do I have the disc for you. If you’re like me and you prefer a little differentiation here and there, look away. Stare into the middle distance. Imagine yourself somewhere else. Or even listening to something else. Ahhh – you’ve got Demonoid in the ole CD player instead. Another great death-thrash riff! Wonderful. Some discernible lyrics? Yep, they’re sweet. And the production – quite balanced. But then the metronome drums pull us back into reality, and the fantasy comes crashing down around you – you’re STILL listening to “Crown of Souls.” Damn.

As for a comparison band, think Dying Fetus last decade. Minus the dry but discernible production, dual vocal attack, and subversive lyrical content. The difference between “Crown of Souls” and an album like “Killing on Adrenaline” is that “KOA” can be put on the in background without making you angry, whereas when you are halfway through with “COS” your entire being will long to lunge at the music-playing device and disconnect the speakers.

But so many people love this stuff, so let’s try to find out why. The lyrics are not half-bad; we got some Mayans sacrificing people, and some cannibal dude eating people, a sword being run through some people, and other deep thoughts. The cover art and Viking picture on the disc tray are both cool. The bald singer guy looks suitably pissed. “Hammer Forged Blade,” has a funny sword noise throughout. And may I say that the song “Forced Attrition” has some good groove to it. I’m running out of positives here…oh, and everyone can play very fast. But a fast band does not a good band make.

So now I see the easy way to tell most American DM from European DM – brutality for brutality’s sake vs. “atmosphere.” While I do like a lot of death from this side of the pond, Deeds of Flesh is out of the lineup like a baseball player who lost both arms in an accident. Derivative and ultimately boring, this crown of crap is one you can avoid wearing. Put on a hat of Hypokras instead. Or a cap of Cryptopsy. Or a bonnet of Bloodbath. Ok, I’ll stop.

2 Tick Tocks out of 10.

- Information
- Released: 2005
- Label: Unique Leader (the DOF dudes own the label, no wonder they can release this shit all the time)
- Website: www.deedlsofflesh.net
- Band
- Erik Lindmark: guitars, vocals
- Jacoby Kingston: bass, vocals
- Mike Hamilton: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Crown of Souls
- 02. Medical Murder
- 03. Hammer-Forged Blade
- 04. Forced Attrition
- 05. This Macabre Fetish
- 06. The Resurrected
- 07. Incontestably Evil
- 08. Crimson Offering
- 09. Caught Devouring