The Red Light Murder Case

Deranged, like so many other bands in Scandinavia's death metal/black metal field, has been a perfect example of the "revolving door syndrome" -- in other words, the Swedish combo has had so many lineup changes since its inception in 1991 that it has been the musical equivalent of a revolving door. Yet another Deranged lineup was unveiled with this 2007 recording, which finds original members Johan Axelsson (guitar) and Rikard Wermen (drums) joined by two newcomers: vocalist Martin Schönherr and bassist Thomas Ahlgren. But lineup changes haven't done much to change the band's sound over the years, and on The Redlight Murder Case, Deranged remains a Swedish band with an approach that owes a lot to American and British death metal but very little to Scandinavian death metal. Although death metal and its sibling black metal have been seriously dominated by the Nordic countries since the mid-'90s, true metal historians know that many of the early death metal bands were from the United States (especially Florida) and Great Britain -- and on this 35-minute CD, Deranged continue to draw inspiration from late-'80s and early-'90s grindcore bands such as America's Cannibal Corpse and Britain's Carcass. Lyrically, The Redlight Murder Case doesn't get into paganism, Vikings, Nordic mythology, and other subjects that Scandinavian extreme metal bands are known for; instead, this conceptual album (which describes, in graphic, gory detail, the activities of a serial killer who goes after prostitutes) is the metal equivalent of a campy, over-the-top horror B-movie (specifically, a slasher flick) and is delivered with a big dose of irony. All that irony ultimately makes the blood-and-guts lyrics on tunes like "Strip Nude for Your Killer," "Formula for a Murder," "The Killer Wore Black Gloves," and "Red Light Murderess" seem goofy and cartoonish rather than genuinely unsettling. The Redlight Murder Case doesn't pretend to point death metal in any new directions, although it's good for some cheap, tacky thrills if one fancies late '80s/early '90s grindcore favorites like Cannibal Corpse, Cancer, and Carcass. ~ Alex Henderson