The next contender to step to the mantle is Deadnate. All that you need know is that Deadnate play progressive metal with a vile garnish of death metal (which is a compliment in these realms) and they play it damn well. Whether or not their debut LP, The North Sea, is enough to introduce them as the next famed Danes in the metal plane can only be judged in time, but the surface unveils eye-widening potential; The North Sea’s waters are cold and unforgiving.
Interestingly, Deadnate has very little to say about themselves. Beyond claiming to approach things with an uncompromising, honest attitude and songwriting ‘brimming with feeling, imagination and vision’, the quartet really aren’t ones to brag. Such modesty is understandable when your music speaks entirely for itself. The North Sea, amongst many things, is an exciting record for the prog sphere. It emanates the same faint glimmers of the band’s vast potential akin to the likes of Wheel before they, themselves, began to roll. They carve themselves a niche within niches with sprawling, constantly evolving soundscapes on the progressive front, multi-faceted barks and wild flurries of riffs pinched from melodic death metal, all wrapped in the comforting fuzz of 80s thrash production, not unlike Metallica’s first triumphs. The end result is a concoction that arguably leans on its influences as subtly as a ‘Gojira #1’ foam finger but it does so in such an amalgamation of styles that deftly avoids copycat accusations.
This leaves a very distinct method of attack for the band to execute and the Danes are fittingly inhumane when giving their demonstrations. Don’t be fooled by the LP’s gorgeous cover art – courtesy of the talented Eliran Kantor – The North Sea’s tides are as volatile as its real-life counterpart and the tracks rarely allow you a moment to foresee the next wave of carnage. Having displaced the opening ‘Aurora’ that gently rocks the boat as percussive stabs and pale shrieks of guitar rear their head, Deadnate capsizes listeners with ‘Downhearted’ – a track that is as much a modern Gojira track as it is a Be’Lakor number. Acting as a boilerplate to what Deadnate excels so effortlessly in, Downhearted opens with a vicious tandem of vocal punches, accompanied by enormous tactile riff and drum combos before the ballistic pace snaps to a bobbing groove as we float along a more refrained stream where growls become chants and riff battery becomes tranquil inflections. This, of course, is momentary. Deadnate play in a constant ebb and flow, changing with the tides on instinct and totally unafraid to place emphasis on the calm before the storm.
‘Winter’ is a prime example. Seemingly their own ‘Flying Wales’, with an intro that pays homage to their French tech-death lords, Deadnate spend a good portion of the track’s six-and-a-half-minute runtime simply building tension before the levy breaks and the band erupts. It’s not a constant windmill of limbs and spit that hurls itself at 100mph, Deadnate knows when to breathe. The band has the major facets nailed whether it be inventive songwriting, great and memorable performances along with that critical space to grow as the quartet matures upon further releases. The ten-track barrage is water-tight with little excess weight on show – other highlights including ‘Worshippers’’ attitude of ‘how many incredible riffs can we fit in three minutes?’ and ‘Cold Star’s’ intense head-bobbing grooves ensure Deadnate don’t stretch themselves thin.
Complaints will be made and fingers will be pointed at their similarities to the aforementioned lords of polyrhythmic thunder, Gojira, with The North Sea landing between a mixture of The Way Of All Flesh, Magma and Fortitude but this would be to ignore the deeply-woven nuances that give these sounds fresh life. If anything, one could argue Deadnate should double down and explore these territories further. Longer, more daring songs with untold potential could certainly break this band and there’s no doubt time will bring such fortune.
The North Sea feels like a starting gun, fantastic within in its own right and abundant with power, yet it’s the incoming future that it lays out ahead that excites the most. Deadnate can easily become one of the genre’s great new talents and this LP will surely be the vessel to navigate the dark waters between them and glory.