Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 12:38 AM by Giorgos Tsekas
Genre: Black / Death Metal
Country: Philippines
Label: Hells Headbangers
Year: 2019
Deiphago have been around for more years than you think, since their first band (Satanas) was formed way back in 1989. They have had some breaks after all these years, and their first album as Deiphago actually came out in 2006, with 2019 finding them with a total of five full lengths in this period of time. I personally discovered them in 2012 with “Satan Alpha Omega”, and by looking at their long history, it seems like not a day has passed in terms of the path they have decided to follow.
The latest album “I, The Devil” features over the top anti-religious statements like we are used from the band, and an even more impressive cover art to come along with it than in their previous works.This effort features the chaotic elements that characterize Deiphago, who have subtly improved from their previous album mainly in the composing department and the sound of the vocals. It is not as stomping as war metal but it definitely attacks in a more direct way than more melodic black / death metal bands that might come to mind when you hear of this sound mixture.
The tracks have a very similar structure, which features heavy riffing and abrupt changes in tempos, as if the band is in a constant closing concert smashing jam, harsh shouting vocals and frantic solos have a strong presence, as firstly shown by Slayer back in the origins of extreme metal. Yet, at several times I felt like Deiphago were almost influenced by noisy hardcore bands like Nails, in the use of fast vocals, as well as the placement of their solos and their few crushing moments.
Apart from that, the loudness of the production sometimes covers up some interesting ideas they are deploying, like in the track “Chaos Protocols”. After the short introduction, the first two tracks “Quantum Death” and “Neuro-Satanic Circuit” are structured in the same way, with flooding pieces of asymmetric playing and crazy driven solos towards the end.
“I, The Devil” might seem random and unfathomable at first, but it shows Deiphago moving to rhythmic paths that are more exquisite compositions, giving praise to technicality without losing the point. I just wish the production was a bit less loud, or better mixed, even though the result is still a very powerful statement by this band. The longest track in the record is the self-titled, and last track too, which clocks up to almost eight minutes and has a short passage at the end which is the only time “I, The Devil” actually quiets down.
Other than that, it is just a bombardment of brutality with a fair amount of beauty as long as it start pumping in to your head. Personal favorite track is “Anti-Cosmic Trigger” for the gun locking sample, and “Quantum Death” for the title and the ending. Deiphago were always directed towards an audience into uncompromising extreme sound, and “I, The Devil” will be a treat and a challenge for all such fans in the scene. Do the devil’s work.
4/6
