Deadlock is a combination of what are probably now the most nauseating ingredients in metal – nth generation melodic Swedish death metal, screamed verses, and sung vocal choruses, with symphonic black metal keyboards to add insult to injury. It is difficult to describe the unbridled hatred and urge to commit mass murder that arises in me when I hear these cliches for the millionth time.
Nonetheless, this German band is quite enjoyable, for the simple fact that it takes all these ingredients over-the-top. Swedish melodeath? Let's shred more than the last three Soilwork albums put together! Screamed verses? Let's start off with a so-unnecessary-it's-awesome "Come on, motherfuckers!" (with a slight accent, of course). Sung vocal choruses? Let's skip the girl pants and have an actual woman sing the hooks, R&B style! Symphonic black metal? Pshaw – I see your Dimmu Borgir and raise you techno chords and 1st person shooter soundtracks!
It's hard to take seriously something that takes itself this seriously, but beneath the ProTools and hip haircuts are some actual music happenings. "We Shall All Bleed" and "Code of Honor" have gloriously ripping shredding, while Sabine Weniger overcomes novelty status with her commanding vocals. The whole package makes Lacuna Coil seem raw, but the hooks are so catchy that Killswitch Engage sounds like Obituary in comparison.
Perhaps the best representative of this album's strengths and weaknesses is "End Begins," which has an honest-to-goodness bad-ass riff, only to yield to "this is the video single" piano and soaring female vocals. Symphonic stabs muscle their way in, complete with a sample of f**king rain thunder. Then the song suddenly becomes a horrible goth/gabber hybrid with techno kicks – before the onset of righteous metal shredding. Where did this come from??? They get docked a full point for that nonsense.
7/10
