Review: Deserted Fear – Dead Shores Rising

I first came across Deserted Fear back when I first joined the jolly team at Moshville. They were one of the first reviews I ever did for the site back in 2014. I was suitably impressed by their unique take on old-school death metal and it was one of my favourite albums released that year. Fast forward nearly three years, and we now have their latest effort: Dead Shores Rising.

In a similar form to the last album, Dead Shores Rising opens with the aptly titled “Intro”. This time around, the band has opted for a slightly darker symphonic track which expertly leads into “The Fall Of Leaden Skies”. From the intro drum fill to the ending riff, this track just oozes groove and is easily one of my favourite tracks on the album.

Kicking the pace up is the next track, “The Edge Of Insanity”. A fast,’balls to the walls’ track which takes no prisoners with the growls of frontman Manuel sand-blasting your face off. Slowing down to a more mid-paced feel, “Open Their Gates” and “Corrosion Of Souls” continue the vibe that was introduced at the start of the album and meld it different ways to create memorable and thoroughly enjoyable tracks.

The “Interlude” provides a bit of a break from the intensity of the death metal before a drum-fill signals the start of the next track. “Towards Humanity” increases the pace ever so slightly and with its split harmony-based chorus creates a compelling soundscape which everything neatly slots into.

Now, “The Carnage”. This is arguably the best track I’ve heard from the band, merely because it merges two of the things I look for in death metal: a good paced riff and vocals that tell a story. And boy, does this track deliver in spades. The same could be said of the next track too. “Face Our Destiny” features not only some the most catchy riffing I’ve heard, it also has a superb music video to boot.

Rounding out the album, “Till The Last Drop” and “Carry on”, differ ever so slightly but they both retain the core features explored on the album. The former features arguably one of the best riffs on this release, with stop/start drums and a tremolo picked style it really makes the track spring out.

I’ve listened to this album multiple times since it landed for review and each-time I put it on, I’m picking up little details that I missed on previous listens. The mix is also superb, but Dan Swanö did it so I expected nothing less. In short, this album is somewhat of a breath of fresh air in what can be considered a very crowded scene. Just like last time, Deserted Fear have created an album that not only is a pleasure to listen to; they’ve possibly created one of the best death metal albums I’ve heard in some time.

Rating: 9.5/10

Standout Tracks: The Fall Of Leaden Skies, The Edge Of Insanity, The Carnage, Till The Last Drop

Deserted Fear: official | facebook | google+ | youtube

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