Fast and furious,
First Round Knockout from Norway's
Deride is a raucous contemporary metal album inspired by
Black Sabbath,
Pantera,
Judas Priest, and
Slipknot. With thrashed vocals and grinding riffs, songs like the title track launch a full-on assault on the listener. The aggression in "Life Before Death" is captured by the intensely repetitive, hardcore guitar progressions. "Clear Reflection" spirals into an ominous groove and "The Hate Within" is so powerful that it gives new meaning to the word "extreme." But
Deride's one shortcoming is that their constant, relentless energy can get a little homogenous. The record really sounds very much the same until the strange and atmospheric hidden track.
Deride may actually be heavier than
Sabbath, but when all is said and done, they're not nearly as dynamic and unexpected. ~ Charles Spano