Music is much like a fine wine, the best is often in the vintage. I mean, don’t get me wrong new is good too (I’d be a pretty awful reviewer if I hated anything modern). Yet still it’s often the old school which naturally sets the bar, creates the genres, houses the classics and so forth. An album must ferment and wallow over time before it can be fully appreciated I find. Although this doesn’t mean that new music doesn’t stick, but it’s how long after the release that it sticks which counts.

Giving us some old school flare are Sweden’s own Brutal Death heavyweights Deranged. The band formed way back in 1991 making them perhaps one of the earliest examples of Brutal Death? Although they didn’t put out a full-length record until 1995 with the classic Rated-X. This was followed in 1998 with a personal favourite of mine High On Blood. Yet after much time the band separated in 2008. Their output had become weaker but in 2009 the band reformed and sprung back, delivering Cut Carve Rip Serve in 2011. Now we come to the band’s milestone tenth record Deeds Of Ruthless Violence, released through Agonia Records.

Opening the record is Necro-Bulimia Infering Afterlife. It’s full of ultra-archaic Brutal Death riffs and classic catchy Death Metal vocals. However, it isn’t without its modern charm namely in the usage of the songwriting which appears forward thinking and modern, yet not detrimentally so. The forward thinking guitars continue in Levels Of Lividity, a pretty mellow yet nigh on Slam track which keeps the album moving in the right direction.

Through Stages Of Putrefaction keeps up the guitar work and ensures that the vocals are to be memorable yet again. The album reminds me slightly of Lividity in the sense of the lyrical delivery and structure, something I can certainly appreciate. Then, twisting the corkscrew comes the all too relatable Quarantine Required For Living Entities, you know the world is bad when you can relate the current state of affairs to a Deranged album. Although irony aside this is a cracking track full of further eclectic Death Metal songwriting. Closing the record is I Send You Half The Kidney I Took, it’s not overtly exciting but it brings proceedings to a befitting end.

Is this the most incredible Death Metal album I’ve ever heard? No. However much like I mentioned in my opening statement this is a record that needs it’s time to ferment. Over the course of time I believe that Deeds Of Ruthless Violence could be looked back upon as a later career classic for Deranged. I mean let’s face it, the album is pretty memorable which can often times be a lacking factor when music gets this savage and for that I commend Deranged. They’ve not lost sight of the importance off a good riff. Check it out if you want some brutality, I mean it’s got to be worth it at least for the most ironic song title of the year surely.

(8/10 George Caley)

https://www.facebook.com/derangedband

https://agoniarecords.bandcamp.com/album/deeds-of-ruthless-violence