ALBUM REVIEW: Deteriorot – Awakening

Ancient death metal legends Deteriorot continue flying the flag of the old school with their fourth album. Set for release via Xtreem Music on October 21st.

Despite being active since 1990 (or 1988 if you count Mortuary), Deteriorot have slowly and steadily built up a discography of classic and reliable but powerful death metal. With a focus on quality rather than being prolific, they have remained a force to be reckoned with on the albums as well as live and garnered a cult reputation in the process. A trickling of funereal gloom comes forth to introduce this charnel opus with a simplistic but evocative guitar piece. Eldritch doom infuses their traditional brand of morbidity, creating atmosphere and brutality alike with crashing drums cutting through the eerie walls of guitar and bass. Churning malicious intent, the gurgling vocals and twisted riffs jump into the chasm with a darkness-tinged onslaught of visceral and guttural death metal savagery. With similarities to Finnish and Swedish bands alongside their own American scene (especially Cianide, Rottrevore and Incantation), Deteriorot’s cult sound is as strong and recognisable as in the early 90s. “Awakening” promises to be just that, an awakening of old school macabre spirits.

Alongside main man Paul, the renewed lineup have clearly been sharpening their instruments. The drumming is volatile and varied while the guitars and bass remain unshakable foundations of putrescence for those ominous vocals to seep evil across. The entire band hammers and scolds you with a mighty onslaught while the raw and lethal production keeps the authentic feel of the record perfectly presented in all of its untamed septic glory. Heaving and bloated with haunting images of doom and despair, this record is a gargantuan behemoth of total extremity. The subtly placed HM-2 chainsaw madness cuts the more swampy guitar tones to give a mix of that Swedish grit with the more Finnish and American leanings. Deteriorot successfully embodies the old school death metal of the 90s and somehow encompass more than one major sound from distinctly different scenes in doing so. A horror of truly magnificent and terrifying proportions indeed.

Each track waits lurking around the corner to be discovered and zombify you with total depravity and heaviness. The horror-tinged madness of Danish legends King Diamond is very prevalent in the themes aesthetically and lyrically here which further adds to the experience’s totally gruesome feel. Battering us with evil tales and supremely savage music, you will be pulled in by this rusted meat hook of an album on offer if you are a real death metal manics, that is for certain. I cannot believe how much they have kept their original sound to this day while still feeling like there’s something new worth hearing here. Of course I should not be surprised, but still it is pleasant to see the old guard standing true and defiantly by the old ways. To call any individual song a highlight would be pointless because each is a worthy cut of meaty madness and the entirety of the record needs them all to pound your skull into oblivion. No respite, no mercy, only death is real.

From gloomy ossuaries to abysses of total death and destruction; Deteriorot continue to prove their name as a worthy classic of obscure death metal who have not lost their flame at conjuring demonic spirits and rancid contortions. Nearly four decades into their career and they still retain that disgusting, violent and pungent old school rotten attack. Bursting with feral and fetid energy, this record will bludgeon you until the very end. Despite being released in 2025, this feels so genuinely like a lost gem of the 90s death metal world that has be unearthed now for the first time, it’s quite something! Still they manage not to recycle their work and offer a fresh and fatal dose of decay. These underground masters clearly cannot be stop, nor show any intention of stopping the sadistic butchery. Only sick freaks will return for more…