A ruinous heap more than a carnal form. — Held in place by the lingering tension of scars stretched across still-burning nerves the new permanence of mass-deformed corporeal stature is one of melancholic reminiscence, bitterly singed remnants of loss and the deflated physicality resultant. Seeking agency in a collapsing diorama of mud and fire yet finding profound doom, hopelessness in the heat of glorious cataclysm the third nail from London, England-based black metal band Deitus provides a peaking, unholy plateau to solidify upon before the ground begins to give and all limbs begin to flail. Just as quickly as panic wakes the ulterior eye so does acceptance arrive, ‘Irreversible‘ may be a bleak sepia-toned landscape of wreckage yet one shouldn’t walk into this long awaited third full-length from the band expecting a loss of will and vigor as their brand of classicist yet adventurous black metal retains its thrashing merits while shades of doomed melodicism creep into their vernacular this time around.

Though the project itself was conceived as a core duo circa 2004, Deitus were teenagers at the time and wouldn’t directly pursue their idea from 2006 ’til ~2013. By most reasonable standards they’d officially started the band in 2014 when their first recording, a live demo put to limited cassette tape, released and at some point members of revered groups Qrixkuor, Funeral Throne, Trivax and Inconcessus Lux Lucis have graced or supported on each of their releases since; Though their style is often described as mid-90’s influenced and/or melodic Deitus‘ riff forward style of black metal has long presented thrashing run-on riffcraft clearly rooted in exaggerated heavy metal guitar progressions from the jump as we touch upon the succinct, carefully stated verve of their debut LP (‘Acta Non Verba‘, 2016) where the song “Ladder of Divine Ascent” showcased the classicism inherent to their work alongside the sprawling possibilities which that level of composition opens up. The general burn-through of each of their full-length albums present a two-sided experience wherein the opening pieces reinforce their solidarity with their root influences and the second half extends the conversation a bit deeper, often in an unexpected direction.

The second full-length from the band (‘Via Dolorosa‘, 2018) was the most intense deviation from expectations per its touch upon dissonant yet melodic guitar work via the second half of the record with “Salvifici Doloris” a song which’d found the band compared to modern Polish black metal more heavily, specifically Mgła and perhaps more fittingly Deus Mortem to some degree. Those were surface level observations from the crowd as most of that second record was of their typical thrashing elevation and fundamentally different in its tendencies by direct comparison. The second half of that album appear to develop a more ‘reserved’ side of Deitus where we find their melodious, slower-paced, and atmospheric pieces are often catchier than expected and present a sort of heavy rock feeling per the types of guitar solos that occasionally arise. The way that LP had panned out in terms of keeping their statement succinct but expanding their horizons impressed me to the point that I was hyped for the release of ‘Irreversible‘ with consideration for where they’d take it in the future.

All hope is lost. — Written with some continental separation between members ‘Irreversible‘ appears to be a reflection upon a loss of control, an increasingly hopeless situation which leaves the tone of the full listen initially sparking with fiery frustration (“Incursion”) and slowly but surely receding into a forlorn state (“Voyeur”.) In this sense one shouldn’t expect a recreation of ‘Via Dolorosa‘ but a third and different full-length which continues to double down on their original concept/feeling while pushing their sound in a more melodious, somewhat doomed direction as they build towards the great reveal of Side B. In this sense the full listen hits the mark in terms of reinforcing the thrashing riffcraft Deitus have brought on each LP up front while also regenerating the Greg Chandler/Priory Recording Studios engineered oak as a familiar foil, making for an easy in. Otherwise they’ve brought this record to Necromorbus Studio for its mix/master and this lends a thunderous sort of appeal to the overall sound design, an ‘epic’ in scope thrashing Scandinavian touch which emphasizes this’ll be a differently adventurous step taken overall.

At six songs and ~40 minutes in length ‘Irreversible‘ is just as exacting in its ever-ramping flow of events, ear-catching arrangements, and generally high bar for songcraft as’d been the case with their last two LPs. With the bar already set high every piece must count and in this sense Deitus present an entirely “locked in”, on-target experience which cannot help but feel pined-over, tapped for every ounce of consideration per the ‘epic’ landscape it presents, (again) including the scope of its sound design, and its emotive value. This is perhaps where the band’ve taken it over the top, or, above those ‘ready high expectations in presenting vainglorious long-form heavy metal pieces which intensify as the present, one after another. “Straight For Your Throat” sets the tone beyond the launch of the record with its eight and a half minute ‘Absu‘-esque stretch of growling rhythmic verve and roared vocal, both of which carry over directly into standout piece “A Scar For Serenity“, which I believe was writ/co-performed in collaboration with A.L.S. of Inconcessus Lux Lucis. For my own taste this is the big, defining piece upon introduction to Side A, a flamebrand a-swinging in terms of not only its intense heavy metal riffcraft but the mid-song lead which sends the arc of the piece over the top. It isn’t a new skin for the band just yet but certainly an ambitious piece which fits their classicist touch overall.

Though we’ve swapped over to Side B for “Irreversible” the thread continues with a melodious gallop applied to a soldiering piece, tormented in its melodic black metal adjacent rhythmic statement yet narrative in its composition. I would eventually consider this song a preamble for the more poetic side of the album as it arrives contemplative, drastic in phrase and striding… reeling along at a brisk pace, double-kicks in tow. No part of ‘Irreversible’ lacks in shape yet the mid-arc escalation of the second through fourth pieces on the tracklist were what’d left me rapt with attention afforded, seated and fixated upon the quickly flooding motion of Deitus‘ latest. While I suppose the prior album already had me as a fan when its second half hit this record was a vortex from the start and more-or-less made a convert of me by the end of that fourth piece.

From there we are torn asunder, panicked beneath the waves of sleep paralysis and screaming through the torpor with “Voyeur“, wherein the doomed sensation of the full listen takes a frontal stance in dramatic feature of vocalist Toni Coe-Brooker which the band’ve referred to as more than a guest spot but a collaboration. This makes sense because the ~7 minute piece does more than change the tone but takes us completely out of the established realm as it turns the page on the record in a profound and unexpected way. The song itself is an emotional burst which lingers deeply into “As Long as They Fear” beyond it, all nerves still vibrating even as they cut into what I’d heard as a “Good Mourning/Black Friday” sort of riff/transition, insert your own late 80’s Bathory nod instead. It’d shocked me that Side B was enough to leave the full listen feeling heavily weighted, taxing when followed phrase over phrase and this speaks to the level of detail available to Deitus‘ craft as well as the darker resonances of their greater intent.

Though I’d gone in expecting elaboration upon the more dissonant meander of ‘Via Dolorosa‘ the melodious, oft-thrashing melancholia of ‘Irreversible‘ feels like an even more natural result for a band so rooted in classic black metal yet willing to find their place far beyond it, especially as some clear interest in ‘epic’ shades of metal ends up working well with the violent yet expressive cadence of their gig. If treating each of their releases thus far as their own windows, or, portals into deeper expression this realm feels deepest sunk into and as such granted many full listens beyond release. A high recommendation.

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