It’s been a hot minute since I’ve had the chance to talk about these guys. Deified are a thrash metal band from St Helens in the northwest of the UK. They have been tearing up the UK underground metals scene for the better part of the 2010s and now are looking forward to the 2020s. There is no better way than bringing out a new album and moving towards the future with a whole new attitude. I’ve been looking forward to this album for a while and I feel that this is some of their best work to date. Anthrobscene is the second record from the thrash-metal quintet and it is filled to the brim with riff, grooves and attitude. The way they’re able to take their influences and mix it into something new and creative is something that I’ve always admired about the band. The tight rhythms and their well-controlled production makes this album on another level from their previous work.
Anthrobscene is a really well-worked album. The album starts with a really atmospheric intro that gets you psyched for the music ahead and then brutality is unleashed all the way to the finish line. Deified, don’t waste any time on the album, every single second has something happening, be that in the vocals or with the music. Like I’ve said, everything feels so well controlled, not a beat missed or a sound out of place, it just all fits together in one cohesive whole. Take any song on the album and you’ll find a storm of metal goodness. Jamie Hughes on vocals really shines on the record as his performance really captivates a listener in a way that almost demands your attention. Also, I have to appreciate the drum work from Jordan Stanley-Jones who absolutely kills it on the kit. Keeping the timing beautifully with bassist, Tom Simm. The pair keep the groove going so that guitarists Matthew Pike & Alistair Blackhall have more room to breathe but will always have the primary groove to return to. Literally the definition of controlled chaos.
Last time I spoke about them was with their first record Ascension, where I criticised the production and said that it didn’t sound as good as what it could have been. Well, on this album, I feel the production has come a long way. You can really feel the drum and bass work and the album as a whole feels more three dimensional. The guitars sound better with a much clearer tone giving the album some personality and some life. Exactly how it feels when you hear them live on stage. The brief interludes here and there are good too. Again, it goes a long way to establishing some form of personality for the album. Rather than it being just a collection of songs shoved together. There really feels like that is a coherent theme running through the album and it feels like these tracks belong together.
I think this is a pretty solid record. The lads in Deified have got in and hit hard with this one. It’s a concise and gripping record that you’ll want to put on repeat. For the old school fans of metal, it has a clear tone, great musical theming and solid production work, reminiscent of the mid-90’s thrash scene. For the new school, it has sheer intensity and great groove work more common with modern heavy metal. A great record that will leave wanting to go out and see them live and speaking from experience, you very much should.
You can Pre-Order Anthrobscene here – https://shop.deified.uk/
