Deathman – 3 Track Heavy Metal Tape

Deathman is a new Swedish heavy metal band featuring members of the more extreme band Hypertension. The band’s upcoming release is a 3 Track Heavy Metal Tape that is sure to unleash a flurry of headbanging and other great feelings. It’s one of those releases that is very classic in its approach; though it brings nothing new to the table, it executes an existing heavy metal sound so well that innovation is unimportant. Take the intro to “Bells of Doom” for example. This song features one of the most potent harmonized guitar sections the world has seen since any of Iron Maiden’s albums from the 80s. Much of the remainder of the song consists of various chord progressions with 16^th notes filling the gaps in interesting rhythmic patterns (a similar concept is used in the opening song, “Burning Night").

As with the rest of this release, the vocals are incredibly old-school. In fact, the approach seems distinctly NWOBHM, where many bands went with whoever had a decent enough voice. That is to say that although Deathman’s vocalist fits the music, he is by no means exceptionally operatic or even utilizing a particularly wide range (though the band’s title track features a wicked scream). This recalls vocalists of bands like Angel Witch or Diamond Head, and helps to make things sound a bit more authentic.

One thing that Deathman does far better than most of their peers is utilize chords beyond power chords. Of course, those are still the main chords, but songs like “Deathman” show the band adding some slightly more dissonant chords into their repertoire. This is not the only place on this release where the band does this, and the added tension makes for a more memorable experience. Between these types of riffs there are plenty of guitar solos. The band isn’t afraid to throw in a solo at any time, and the leads combine melody and shred for a tasteful approach. On the whole, this really describes Deathman: they have an excellent ear for what works and what doesn’t in metal. Their 3 Track Heavy Metal Tape is sure to be a winner for everyone that hears it because it delivers a serious offering of old-school metal.

Be sure to check out Deathman's tape on Bandcamp!

Highlight

"Bells of Doom"

Final Rating

4.4/5 or 88%. 

Written by Scott