Label : Lifeforce Records
Review by Tony Cannella
From Germany, Deadlock was formed in 1997 and released their full-length debut (“The Arrival”) in 2002. “Bizarro World” is the name of their just released 5th album, and showcases Deadlock’s intense brand of Melodic Death Metal, but in addition to their Death Metal sound, the band also includes a catchy Hard Rock and even a pop feel to some of the songs. I know it sounds confusing, but that’s what you get in the “Bizarro World” of Deadlock. The groove-laden, head banging inducing opening track “Virus Jones” gets things off to a fast, furious, brutal and melodic start. The heaviness and brutality accompanies the energetic, extreme vocals of Johannes Prem, whilst the song shifts gears and becomes more melodic and instantly accessible when it comes time for Sabine Scherer to sing her parts, this is perhaps Deadlock’s biggest weapon and they do it quite well. “State of Decay” begins with a piano intro before the song morphs into a strongly melodic and mid-tempo number with Sabine handling the vocals on this one. This is another strong track that focuses more on the melodic elements of Deadlock. The chaotic “Falling Skywards” brings back the Death Metal vibe, yet still manages to change tempos at times throughout the song. The crunchy “Earthlings” is next and is pretty much a straight forward pounding track. Other highlights include: “You Left Me Dead”, “Brutal Romance”, “Htrae” (Earth spelled backwards) and “Paranoia Extravaganza” brings the 40-minute “Bizarro World” to its conclusion. Of course Death Metal is an acquired taste, and I don’t think any death metal band ever aspired to be the biggest band in the world but Deadlock has something different to offer. Even fans who are not necessarily into Death Metal may find something to like about “Bizarro World”.
Rating – 85/100
Tracklist
- Virus Jones
- State of Decay
- Falling Skywards
- Earthlings
- You Left Me Dead
- Brutal Romance
- Alienation
- Renegade
- Htrae
- Bizarro World
- Paranoia Extravaganza
Line Up
- Johannes Prem – Vocals
- Sabine Scherer – Vocals & Keyboards
- Sebastian Reichl – Guitars & Keyboards
- Gert Rymen – Guitars
- John Gahlert – Bass
- Tobias Graf – Drums
Links