Review of Deaden - Hymns of the Sick

Death Metal. Brutal. United States of America. 1998. “Ejaculation into a rotting orifice.”

I’d like to assume the picture has been drawn, but for the neophytes this is essentially akin to albums by bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Skinless, Mortal Decay & Broken Hope that were being put out around the same time. Like those bands, Deaden had quite the hang-up with “sick” lyrical themes, samples before songs usually related to murder/necrophilia/gore. Deaden were formed in 1992 in Illinois, released a demo in 96’ and a promo in 98’ and got signed to United Guttural records. This is a reprint of their first and only full-length album thus far, re-released in what I can only figure is conjunction with the band reforming.

Nowadays, I’d say this is a pretty typical or even cliché American Broodeath album - albeit a pretty decent one. Most have heard this several times: blue collar mid-fast paced (but never turbo grind) Death Metal completely based on rhythm. The guitar work is sludgy, simplistic, detuned NYDM style riffing with a complete lack of lead playing. Of note is the very hearable and thick bass playing, which sits alongside the guitar work and drags it into the realm of a fat, robust beat that absolutely pounds on high volumes, while the drum work (despite some shitty tinny sounds coming from the kit) does an absolutely marvelous job at beating and stabbing along with the rest of this creature of rhythm. The vocals range from a high pitched scream to a mid-ranged growl, to the typical guttural low-pitch gurgle growl associated with much of this sub-genre.

Deaden certainly seems to have gone out of their way to actually give Hymns of the Sick an atmosphere of disgust and horror (perfectly suited to the music on the disc) while also giving a refreshing reprieve from what I expected to be a continuous meat beat for the some thirty-five minutes that make up this album. Everything from random guitar noises to old B movie slasher/psycho killer sounding piano parts infest small parts of Hymns of the Sick. While these “interludes” may strike my fancy despite their almost overly cheesy nature, I’m sure that some will pass them off as annoying lapses in the Metal. With Death Metal like this, without them I’m afraid this would become overly monotonous for most (even with them I fear it would be still) as there isn’t much to really distance the songs from one another. Over time it would all just blend into one dull platter of… well, workman style late 90’s American Death.

For fans of more technical affairs, I’d say stick to your guns. If you’re expecting something like Spawn of Possession or Decrepit Birth, you’re going to be awfully disappointed by how slow and simple this can be. This is nothing that would have made many peoples top twenty of the year lists in 1998 - better yet now in 2005. This album would be best used for a short car ride or as backing music at a gathering of metal listener friends for drinking. Hymns of the Sick is a satisfying if not somewhat dull album that will probably collect more dust than rave reviews, but I find it is worth a listen none the less.

Release Details

Deaden

Hymns of the Sick

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