2022 was a pretty awesome year for death metal. Newcomers Molder dropped one of the nastiest albums of the year in their sophomore assault, Engrossed in Decay. Meanwhile, veterans like Protector, Immolation, and Autopsy gave the youngins a run for their money, each dominating with muscular offerings that went toe to toe with their classic late 80s/early 90s output. As we forge onwards into 2023, the death metal prospects look even more promising and fierce as ever. New releases from Obituary, Memoriam, and Sanguisugabogg lurk right around the corner. While we patiently await their arrival, we bring to you our first death metal review of the year in Deiquisitor’s Apotheosis.
Hailing from Denmark, Deiquisitor has spent the past decade carefully branding a dark and wicked brew of old school death metal. While some death metal bands like to emphasis the goriness of the genre à la Impetigo, and others double down on HM-2 driven scuzz in the tradition of Entombed, Deiquisitor draws specifically from the well of the early 90s most infernal crop. Comparisons to classic Immolation and Morbid Angel immediately come to mind, specifically in the riffs, arrangements, and overall musicianship, yet all of these facets are so strong that Deiquisitor comes off as more than a mere Immolation or Morbid Angel clone. No, this band is doing their own thing and having a hell of a time doing so.
Their latest album, Apotheosis, opens with “Humanoid”: A dismal hymn that marries the bleak dissonance of Immolation with the infernal devastation of Morbid Angel. This made apparent by the low, heavy riffs and alternation between tempos which, if executed in a zanier manner, could perhaps be labelled “progressive” or “technical”. The entire album sees Deiquisitor mixing up passages, incorporating slow, ominous, borederline mosh crawls with sheer, blasting insanity (i.e. “Autosarcophagy”, “The Eyes of Worms”, “Deiquisitor”), and to say the formula is effective would be an understatement.
Ironically, as Apotheosis progresses, it starts to edge closer to a more orthodox death metal territory as opposed to the aforementioned “dark death metal” of the last few paragraphs. I’m not sure if the tracks were purposely sequenced as such, but I couldn’t help but notice the vile, bloodthirsty riffs or “Apophis”, or the pseudo-Mental Funeral era Autopsy derived death/doom of “Reflected by the Void”, the latter priding itself of its murky riffage. Closing it all out are the awesomely titled “Atomic Assassins”, a homage to death metal’s late 80s demo days, and “Praise the Lord”, which revisits the Immoangel (I better trademark that) formula one last time before bidding adieu.
By no means is Apotheosis a groundbreaking album, or even a highlight in the scope of modern death metal. However, it is a punisher of an album that gives the listener no time to breathe. If you’re looking for acoustic/synth interludes or forays outside the death metal realm, look elsewhere. Deiquisitor keep it dark and deadly, and they’re most certainly proud of it, as they should be. Just be forewarned that upon listening, your eyes may protrude out the side of your head, similar to the dude on the album cover.
7 out of 10
Label: Extremely Rotten Proudctions
Genre: Death Metal
For fans of: Morbid Angel, Immolation, Skeletal Remains