Friday 7 September 2012

Deception - Nails Sticking Offensive

 
DECEPTION - Nails Sticking Offensive (OLD TEMPLE - CD 2007)
Ha, this is really nicely released CD. Old Temple released it on a 7”EP size foldout cover, what looks really impressive and definitely stands aside from the usual jewel case CD (I don’t know whether the US version from Sevared Records is also released in this big cover or it’s in a standard CD?). Strictly limited and hand numbered, “Nails Sticking Offensive” definitely was an important release for the band and Old Temple. Personally, I must say that I also had quite big expectations for the second album from Deception; well, after being shredded to pieces so brutally by two demos and the debut album, only good things should have happened with “Nails Sticking Offensive”.
After listening to “Nails Sticking Offensive” many times I have two things to say: one, the album is a complete failure and disappointment and two, its name should be the utter chaos. I really hoped that Deception, while continuing the style, which they have developed on the previous recordings, will erupt with ferocity and quality, which would be able to put the buildings down into ruins. But I am afraid that nothing like that happens and the album disappoints hugely. It is still fast and extreme death metal, “Nails Sticking Offensive” is probably even the fastest and most uncompromising piece of music, which this band has spawned so far. But there’s also a complete lack of logic and control over the music and the whole album is just a total mess and chaos. I don’t know if it’s due to the production, but the fact is that “Nails Sticking Offensive” is barely listenable.
The sound on this album is really bad. I mean, generally it would be OK, but the mastering and mixing are completely fucked up. The snare drums is way too loud, so are the vocals, while the guitars just disappear in the wall of noise, so you cannot really hear what the riff is like and in the end everything sounds like an uncontrollable, unreadable, utter noise – and a powerful production is something very important, when you’re dealing with such an intense music, right? And sorry to say, but there’s no pleasure in listening to something, what makes you only tired and gives you a headache, right? Besides, I have doubts that even if the production of “Nails Sticking Offensive” was better it would save the album in any ways, as I have a feeling like the material on this CD is way worse than the demos and the debut full length, really. There’s not a single song here, which would catch my attention, not even one track, which I would define as something what stands above the rest and was able to explode in my face and wreck the shit around. There are some particular bits and pieces, some riffs, which are cool and could have been a good start for a killer death metal song, but they really disappear quickly in this fuckin intensity and noise, which “Nails Sticking Offensive” produces. The opening riff for “Conceited God” would be a good example for that, but they’re just short fragments in the 30 minutes long chaos. There are songs, which I just hate – tell me if “Postnuclear Encyclica” has any sense at all, when the purpose of it is to make a blasting noise? This track is composed of one, repetitive riff, around which the band screams and growls and drums fast and really, nothing interesting comes out of it, and this song turns out to be a completely worthless piece of shit, which shouldn’t ever end on an album of band of this quality like Deception. But as I already mentioned, none of those songs is good enough, really. “The New Age of Death” – another fuckin’ crap. Hmm, and is it my imagination or did Deception got slightly influenced by the war / black metal (or whatever they call themselves?) bands like Revenge and Black Witchery? Or it is just due to the raw production? That at least would explain why everything sounds so horrid and chaotic.
In the end “Nails Sticking Offensive” disappoints and I really cannot listen to this album much. The best thing about it, except the cover, is the fact that it’s just 30 minutes of music, so it didn’t annoy me so much that I had to throw this CD out of my window and bury it in the trash. So, I strongly advice you not to listen to this album and recommend getting other Deception releases, as they’re way better than “Nails Sticking Offensive”. Trust me.
Standout track: none of them
Final rate: 55 / 100

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