ALBUM REVIEW: Deceased – Children Of The Morgue

Cult horror and Death Metal has always had a harmonious marriage, never truer than in the case of DECEASED! These seasoned maniacs date back to 1985 and now present their eighth album via Hells Headbangers on August 30th.

Doomy guitars and drums build the tension with the sort of chilling leads one would hope for a Deceased album to have. The instantly recognisable feeling to the bands atmosphere is one I’ve been dying for more of, with “Ghostly White” being one of my favourite albums of recent years. Kicking up the force with the lead single / title track “Children Of The Morgue”, the blend of melodious Heavy Metal with biting Thrash and scornful Death Metal is sublime. Everything about this band feels old school and the malicious vocals with the terrifying drum artillery is rivalled only by the twisted and creepy guitars which serpentine in unpredictable ways down charnel passages. The strong bass presence from Les Snyder, guitar insanity of Mike Smith and Shane Fuegel and King Fowley’s signature haunting vocals show the core of the band still pounding the strings of passion. Relative newcomer, Amos, who joined in 2019 didn’t play on the last album but makes a superb debut with some busy fills and a tight performance. With that ethereally evil quality that has been a part of the bands music since their beginnings and simply grown more malevolent with time, we can hear a superbly spectral start to the record that gives me huge hope for what lies waiting ahead…

One thing that sets a Death Metal band out instantly is a strong sense of dynamics. Few bands can claim to reach the abilities of Deceased in that field, with their drudging horrors and chaotic frenzies seamlessly coming together for a spectral of ghoulish dread. Thrashing and raging yet always melodic and oftentimes mournful, there is a lot to be said about this band’s craftsmanship when it comes to being unconventionally brilliant. This record has a progressive flare to it, not too far from Voivod or the more out-there ideas from Iron Maiden and yet the Death-Thrashing barbarity of it still has that straightforward, raw adrenaline feeling. Taking brooding moods and enthralling twists to create a very tangible discomfort and morbid atmosphere while staying powerfully epic and triumphantly true to the oldest roots of Heavy Metal; this is a balance only these maniacs could pull off so well. From its most cinematic interludes which elevate the album to each diverse track, digging into this grave continues to feel rewarding and the lengthy running time seems more like a joy than waiting for a corpse to rot. Let’s see if the remains true for the rest!

The bizarre and bewildering thrashy Death Metal churns forth as much darkness as one could imagine and those more traditional moments still come to life throughout the album giving it a headbanging energy that is melodically furious. It definitely feels worth mentioning that the album works as a whole, as an album should. Thusly listening to any individual song may be enjoyable but will miss a huge part of the bigger picture necessary to truly “get” a Deceased record. Those who already adore the band will know what I mean, the rest of you should trust me on that. Anyways, I think that albums like “Ghostly White”, “Supernatural Addiction” and “As The Weird Travel On” have more anthemic tracks that have the terrific ear worm effect that Deceased can master so well. This album feels a bit more disquieting in nature and thus it loses a bit of catchiness. But who wants the same record over and over? We still have those other amazing albums and now something a bit more estranged feeling that is an exciting and bold listen where the band has clearly not been frightened to tread new ground (while dragging the coffin of the old school along closely). Dissonant touches definitely work in favour as the album reaches its climax with more viciously eerie pieces of true horror excellence. You know right until the end it will be true Death Metal from the grave, Deceased never fails and once more I feel an unforgettable experience was had that I will yearn to relive (or re-die?) soon.

There are not many things that would excite me as much as the announcement of a new Deceased record. So how did I find this new addition and did it meet the insanely high bar set by the perfect opus “Ghostly White”? I think the predecessor is an album that will always mean a lot to me and be held in the highest regard so my biases come into play here. “Ghostly White” remains by absolute favourite by this band. But, that doesn’t matter because “Children Of The Morgue” is a profoundly brilliant album. It’s macabre, mature and maniacally evil. Packing so many ideas and deranged explorations into a coherent and exploratory album so far into your career is something to truly be heralded for. Deceased have proven, yet again, to be one of the most unfalteringly crazy, true and splendid bands in Death Metal who fear no trend or ideal. Upholding everything that has made this band amazing without treading water, it is always a good time to tune into their eerie wavelengths.