California's technical death metal veterans Deeds of Flesh have just unleashed their 9th album, though first in just under five years, and Portals to Canaan is indeed a doozy. Combining their penchant for crafting brutal, pulverizing technical riffing with insane soloing, venomous growls, and jackhammer drumming, Deeds of Flesh have long been putting out stellar releases but still to this day have yet to be recognized as one of the leading acts for this style of extreme music. Will that all change now with Portals to Canaan? Hard to say, but if you love your death metal plenty brutal and complex, then you've come to the right place as Deeds of Flesh have created an album well worth your attention.
On this album, the band shows a revamped line-up, as new members Craig Peters (Arkaik) joins on lead guitar and Ivan Munguia (Arkaik, Brain Drill) on bass, as they slot in alongside long-time guitarist/vocalist Eric Lindmark and drummer Mike Hamilton. They have not missed a step however, as musically, Portals to Canaan sees the band better than ever. Lyrics are science fiction themed, and that's backed up with zig-zagging, crushing riffs (and man, are these riffs killer!), relentless drumming, and a wide assortment of growls, screams, and bellows. "Rise Of The Virvum Juggernaut", "Amidst the Ruins", and the ferocious "Celestial Serpents" are worth your immediate attention, but hell, "Xeno -Virus" and the title track also just have the ability to bludgeon the listener into submission, leaving not a weak track to be found. If that isn't enough, they throw in a head smashing cover of Gorguts' "Orphans of Sickness" for good measure...good God!
Easily one of the best technical death metal albums of 2013, Portals to Canaan is another excellent release from this criminally underrated band. Check it out immediately if you haven't already!
Track Listing
01. Amidst The Ruins
02. Entranced In Decades Of Psychedelic Sleep
03. Rise Of The Virvum Juggernaut
04. Celestial Serpents
05. Caelum Hirundines Terra/The Sky Swallows The Earth
06. Xeno-Virus
07. Hollow Human Husks
08. Portals To Canaan
09. Orphans Of Sickness (GORGUTS cover)
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