This EP represents the moment in time when the Flanders H8000 hardcore scene crossed over into death metal. Several bands had already hinted at doing such a thing (e.g., Congress, Liar, Sektor), but Deformity were the band that took the plunge. These guys were still part of the wider H8000 scene when they made this record. Several members had been involved in hardcore bands previously (such as Solid and Congress). "Misanthrope" feels like the half-way house between the chuggy, catchy metallic hardcore of H8000 scene bands, and the thrashy death metal of early Deicide. Believe it or not, Deformity was on the cusp of something here, and they emerged with an interesting, exciting sound.
This record gives several indications of the band’s hardcore roots. First, this is minimalist death metal. Most of the songs are short (less than three minutes), and there are no solos to speak of. This was the band’s secret weapon. When this was released (in 1997) there were floods of staid, boring death metal acts playing sub-Cannibal Corpse style metal, littering local death metal festivals around the world. Their music tended to be characterised by stunted solos, disjointed riffs and zero attention to song-writing. Deformity offered an alternative. The brevity and 'no frills' hardcore urgency was balanced against a leaner, more streetwise death metal approach. Every song on this EP has motion and groove, but each is complex and varied enough to satisfy any death metal fan (except the ones who care too much about solos).
The vocals differ to most death metal. Vocalist Lookmulle combines higher pitched screams with low-register growls. The former predominates but the latter surfaces on occasion. It sounds awesome, and these vocals are a relic from the band's roots in the H8000 scene. This gives Deformity more aggression and intensity than most death metal bands from the period. This comes across in the riffs too. These songs are full of stop-start moments, with breakdowns which blend into the faster, blasting sections. Fluidity and memorability are the name of the game. You might find yourself singing along to the catchier moments after a couple of listens. Lyrically, the band were distancing themselves from the issues-based, sociopolitical content of the hardcore scene. Their lyrics seem to be more focused on traditional death metal topics like murder and aliens.
Without doubt, “Misanthrope” is one of the better (and more enduring) records from the old H8000 scene. I remember this record turning a few heads when it came out. It still sounds potent today. No-one else sounded like Deformity at the time and I can’t think of any band who has captured this vibe since. This EP doesn’t showcase the ultimate version of Deformity; the band would release an awesome full-blown death metal album a few years later ("Murder Within Sin"). I have minor quibbles about the threadbare production too, which dilutes the intensity somewhat. Still, if you like early Decide, Slayer, Sadus and Malevolent Creation and want to hear a stripped down, late nineties equivalent, this is for you.
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