Thursday, October 9, 2008

DECEIVER - Riding With The Reaper


DECEIVER
Riding With The Reaper
Iron Fist
8.5/10




Those nostalgic for gritty, late-eighties heavy metal like Venom, Raven and the like will find a lot to enjoy about this collection of hard-hitting beer metal tracks from Deceiver. Although the existence of this Swedish project was short-lived, they managed to crank out two full-lengths and an EP before splitting up earlier this year.

Although the sound of the group is more rooted in traditional metal than the speed-punk vibe that Venom so often produced, there’s a distinct parallel to the same kind of aura felt on tracks like “Slay The Rainbow” and “Raise Your Horns.” Musically, you’ll hear a touch of old-school Metallica here as well, but it’s a mistake to label Deceiver a full-on thrash metal outfit. “God Of Dead” contains the type of guitar melodies you’ll find in the NWOBHM sound, and one could possibly even throw in mid-career Judas Priest as a musical influence here. Pete Flesh, as many of you already know, is a very versed metal guitarist. His performance here is rough, raw and dirty-sounding. Most certainly, those who are into rough-sounding metal will totally get off on the thrashing, bone-crunching work the player delivers here.

Vocalist Destormo has an alcohol-soaked, barking voice that does much to articulate the band’s evil musical stance. “Destroy ‘Em All” finds the frontman letting loose with substantially violent rhymes, while his growls on “Mexican Thunder” are straight from the abyss – properly sinister and wicked fun to sing along with.

If you tend to wear a leather vest filled with buttons and patches with no shirt underneath and have a can of strong beer permanently glued to your palm, “Riding With The Reaper” will be right up your alley. It’s gruff and tough and just the way most fans of this kind of sound like it. Horns to thee, Deceiver!


ERIN FOX © 2007 – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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