Refining Barbarity? Deiphago "Into The Eye Of Satan"

Making no apology for who you are is an admirable trait for any band to have.  Anyone familiar with the Deiphago back catalogue will be aware of the wall of furious, pounding thunder that is their sound, relentless in delivery and unapologetic for the carnage left in its wake.  To experience 2012 offering "Satan, Alpha, Omega" is to truly find out what it is like to be assaulted by music.  The fact is that Deiphago are so primitive at times they make the likes of Impiety look positively mainstream and accessible and whilst much is being made already of the tighter sound and performance obvious on their latest offering, there is still no denying that this is Deiphago through and through.

Album opener (proper) "Evil and Adverse" tears your face off and drops a big stinking poo down your throat for good measure - like a misguided notion of a reward ("yeah we're Deiphago, thanks for listening") - as it blazes its way around the room full of pounding fury and reckless, rampant riffage.

The sonic work of Sidapa (yeah - I have no idea either?) on "Bloodbath of Genocide" actually shreds your ears as you listen but by comparison "6x6x6/3" delivers a much more calculated assault, with an almost (dare I say it?) structured approach to the track.

A couple of listens in and it is obvious that "Into The Eye Of Satan" is as accessible as Deiphago have ever been, but it by no means is it a case of the beast has been chained up or placed on a tighter leash.  What Colin Marston (yes him of Krallice and Gorguts fame) has done in the production of this album is give sharp focus to the already visibly obvious progression of a brutal force becoming no less aggressive just more calculating in the chops, punches, kicks and headbutts it delivers.  The production has lost just enough of that "shit recorded in a garage" rawness to let the improvements how without totally alienating the existing audience.

Although no less violent than its predecessors (and the primitive barbarism is ever present) there is a clarity to the fury, an obvious means to the end.  The drum fills are well timed and are complemented perfectly by the crushing bass rumble, the riffing insanity when coupled with the demented shriek of Voltaire 666 (willing to bet that isn't the name on his birth certificate) creates a horrific blue print of a thoroughly well thought out armageddon.  You can hear a band playing on "Into The Eye Of Satan", it is not just 3 guys giving GBH to their instruments there is the genuine sound of evil collusion across this record.

Take the title (and closing) track with its punky bass riff, whispered and haunting vocals, engine rumble guitars and pummeling drums that starts off with all parts audible as distinct entities until it fast becomes a squally, swarming mass of nefarious violence.

Before you know it the record has been and gone and you might be forgiven for wondering what the hell the just happened. For thinking just where on earth the trio can take this sound to on the next record in however many years time.  Fact is Deiphago's sound is not of this earth and they will take it wherever the fuck they like.

"Into The Eye Of Satan" is available here
4/5

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