Deceased "March of the Cadavers: 40 Years of Death Metal from the Grave" (Review)

Deceased March of the Cadavers: 40 Years of Death Metal from the Grave

2025 Hells Headbangers (CD)

hellsheadbangers.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This release stands as a monument to one of the most important death metal bands of all time. It's a great collection of Deceased's best works over two discs, visiting upon all eras of the band. Every record and lineup is represented here. There's also re-recorded versions of "March of the Cadavers" and "Sick Thrash," from their first demo. This best-of charts the path from Deceased being one of the earliest pure death metal bands to the death metal-influenced heavy metal they now play. It's shown as a seamless transition, and it is a great way to sample all their works in one place. I'm a fan of all their material, but the modern version of the band may be my favorite. My tastes have grown (or regressed) right along with their progression as a band in many ways. I still think of them as purely a death metal act, albeit one that plays this form of music much differently than the average band, and it sets them apart. No one sounds like Deceased, in the past, or now. If you're unlucky enough (you don't have that Luck of the Corpse) to have never heard them, or are a younger metalist, definitely start here, and start at the beginning of the first disc. You'll hear a tale of horror that you don't want to miss.

Deceased "Children of the Morgue" (Review)

Deceased “Children of the Morgue”

2024 Hells Headbangers / CD, Cassette, LP

www.hellsheadbangers.com

BADASS SONG TITLES: Terrornaut, The Reaper Is Nesting, Eerie Wavelengths, Skull with the Vacant Stare

BADASS TRACKS: Terrornaut, The Reaper Is Nesting, Eerie Wavelengths, Brooding Lament, Farewell (Taken to Forever) – yes, I like the aggressive shit the most.

This is one band I don’t need to spend time describing. They’ve been around since the original wave of death metal, weathered all manner of storms between then and now, and came out the other side stronger and ever more focused. If you don’t know who Deceased is, you can chuck your fuckin’ backpatch right in the trash, because you’re not a metalist at all.

Along the lines of their classic record “Supernatural Addiction” comes this new masterpiece of the metal of death, “Children of the Morgue.” It’s a damn fine record by a damn fine band. I can’t think of another band that has had as many different stylistic leanings as them over the years that has kept me as a fan, and I think that’s down to Fowley & co.’s understanding of what makes something metal. I tend to gravitate to bands that don’t throw me curveballs, but every one that Deceased has thrown me has been a positive one. They’ve been playing in this style for a while now, and I think it suits them well. I got into them back in the Relapse days with “Blueprints for Madness”, back when I was finding my footing in metal (when that came out I had turned 15 that summer), and I’ve loved them ever since.

Melding classic heavy metal with what we normally associate with death metal was a stroke of genius on their part years ago, and continuing in this vein was a great decision. There are all sorts of Possessed-style moments on this record, but there are also elements of the heavy metal greats of yore, with melodic leads and excellent riff-work. Just listen to the beginning of “Eerie Wavelengths.” It’s got it all! Deceased is not all brutality, but it is all death metal. I think you’ll understand what I’m trying to say. The chops on display, musically, are on par with the best musicians in metal. But all of it, and I mean all of it, makes you bang your fuckin’ head. And the lyrics are up there with King Diamond for storytelling. Each song is like a short horror story. Not to mention King Fowley’s vocals are as strong as they’ve ever been, and they still have that nasty edge to them.

I can’t recommend this album highly enough. None of it disappoints, sonically it's perfect, the short instrumentals add to the feel of the album, and the ghostly childrens' voices here and there on the record are totally fucked, they’re spooky as shit. Every song is different and memorable, and a little sonic journey all its own. I hope these gents continue to make music and keep Deceased going as long as they can. We are the ones that are rewarded, as fans, when records this good come out.