“New World Order” marks the debut
full-length for Swedish death metal band Deathbreed. Sweden has a long, rich
history of death metal, ranging from the old-school bands like Entombed and
Unleashed, to the more modern-sounding melodeath sensations Arch Enemy and In
Flames, among others. Additionally, there’s a whole host of new death metal
bands that pay incredible homage for the aforementioned old-schoolers. For that
reason, you might expect Deathbreed to fall into one of these camps, but they
really don’t. The best way to describe Deathbreed is as a modern death metal
band that does everything right, but without trying to directly emulate or
rip-off any other bands. The riffs that the band presents on this album are not
exactly filthy, but they aren’t melodic either. Instead, they’re
semi-technical, not unlike some of the later Cannibal Corpse records (in other words, they're crazy hard to play, but aren't Brain Drill-like). And
perhaps Cannibal Corpse as a whole really is the best comparison to Deathbreed.
It might be unfair to call Deathbreed generic, but really, when someone says
death metal without any other adjective or prefix, this is exactly the sound
that comes to mind. It’s bludgeoning, it’s brutal, but it doesn’t go overboard
or technicality, breakdowns, or poor production. Granted, it’s not devoid or
sweeps or chugging, but it doesn’t rely on them as a crutch.
But this presents the fundamental flaw with
“New World Order”. If it doesn’t stand out from the crowd in terms of style, it
at least needs to have great songs. Nothing on this record is bad, but it
certainly can’t match up to the aforementioned Corpse. The problem is that with
so many death metal records out there, it makes “New World Order” a bit
redundant. I’ve listened to the record quite a few times now, and it does have
its moments (“Surveillance” has a really cool solo, and the opening riff to “In
The Name of Democracy” sounds like it was written by someone as crazy as Pat
O’Brien), but there is not too much that can be recalled when the album is
over. If you’re looking for a record to get some aggression out, or just to
bang your head to, this will get the job done. The album is by all means
incredibly technically proficient and well put-together, but it lacks the
songwriting necessary to truly make you come back time and time again.
Highlights
"Surveillance"
"In The Name of Democracy"
Final Rating
3.4/5 or 68%.
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