Pop death metal. Never thought you'd hear that phrase, eh? Well, I can't think of a better way to describe Germany's Debauchery. Sure, they're heavy, dark, and (sometimes) fast, but the straight-forward song structures and plain old catchy riffs make them as close to pop music as any strictly death metal band could ever be. It's really no huge surprise, considering they come from Germany, a country where metal in all its forms is much more appreciated and revered than it will ever be in the States. It may even be to the point that metal has become pop (meaning "popular") music in Europe, so the term 'pop death metal' could really be the most accurate way to describe these titans of death metal.
Let me start off by saying that I love these guys. They play a brand of DM that's so old school it's almost a sub-genre all its own. Their songs are simple, straight forward, and tinged with just the right amount of rock n' roll that you just want to chug a beer, grab a lady, and get downright dirty while you listen to them chisel away at your ear drums. They're a staple of everything death metal; from their insidious lyrics to their outrageous stage shows featuring half naked women covered in blood and dancing. These guys are all about the show. And you know what? I love 'em for it!
I'm usually the guy that's got his ears so high up on a pedestal that unless a band is "super talented" or doing something mind boggilingly innovative I want nothing to do with them. But Debauchery are an exception. Whether it's listening to their inane ravings of the demon Blood God over and over, or just banging my head to their unbelievably catchy riffs, their music always gets me going.
So I was stoked when I heard they put out a new CD. For anyone familiar with Debauchery at all, Germany's Next Death Metal is exactly what you'd expect. As usual, these guys don't really stray from the path and have put out yet another record of tried and true death metal. While I am 100% behind that idea, I have to say that GNDM is actually pretty lackluster compared to the material they've been putting out more recently.
"But you just said that you love them for being the awesome and stereotypical death metal band they are! WTFuck?!?" Well, yes and no. I don't expect anything magnificent from these guys, nothing groundbreaking or earth-shattering, but as they've progressed as a band their songs have become more sophisticated and focused. This record feels too much like a step backward to me.
The overall sound is a combination of two genres: death metal and cock rock. I know these guys love them some hair metal, considering their last album was split in two; one half was pure death metal, the other straight up rock n' roll. GNDM seems to be the marriage of those two styles, and sometimes it works, but most of the time it doesn't. Songs like "Zombie Blitzkrieg" and "School Shooter" are pure death metal and almost blow out your speakers, while the rest of the album is sort of toned down and slow-tempo; more of a rock record than anything else.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when I go to listen to a Debauchery record, I want straight up death metal madness, however catchy and poppy it may be. I'm hoping this is just a slight misstep on the road to their ideal sound: that perfect amalgamation of death metal and rock n' roll (also known as death n' roll on this side of the pond). But so far this record is sadly forgettable.
P.S. On a positive side note, their cover of "School's Out" is spot on. Loving it!
7/10
Track Listing:
1. The Unbroken
2. Zombie Blitzkrieg
3. Warmachines at War
4. Animal Holocaust
5. Bloodslaughter Onslaught
6. Germany's Next Death Metal
7. School Shooter
8. Death Will Entertain
9. Armed For Apocalypse
10. Genocider Overkill
11. Killing Is Our Culture
12. School's Out (Alice Cooper Cover)
Favorite Song: Zombie Blitzkrieg
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