Here is a very competent, visceral and exceedingly tight death/black metal record, but what would you expect from a band featuring drummer Dallas Toler Wade (who plays guitar in Nile) and bassist Mike Poggione (Monstrosity)?That being said, credit should not be taken from the other members (guitarists Christian Lofgren and Chris Hollis and vocalist Hohenstein) who in conjunction with the two press sheet headliners, make for a rather direct and admirable slab of razor sharp savagery.

Council of the Fallen comes to mind with the band’s makeup and style, but not as progressive; this is straight to the throat, ripping violence for its sub 30-minute duration and pulls no punches whatsoever. The murderous pace of the blackened Floridian death assault starts with the slicing immediacy of “Kampagne” and pretty much does not let up until “Whorrified”. No interludes, no acoustics, no samples, no bullshit. The title track and “The Divine Wind” with their more complex and varied take on blistering aggression, could be construed as reprieves, but only if you consider a reprieve having your finger nails plucked out after being repeatedly punched in the sternum. Hohenstein delivers ample snarls, growls and screams layering over the squealing, jagged intensity of tracks like “A Path to a Deity”, “Singe Esta Viata”, “Phalluscidal”, and “Release in Flame”; all impressive slabs of well produced, feral and satisfyingly savage black/death metal

A solid release from Deepsend and a band that certainly has the clout and potential to mix it up with the genre’s heavyweights based on music alone, regardless of band member affiliation.

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