Poland’s Deivos have returned with their 6^th full length album Casus Belli.  I must say I was quite please and hooked with their 2017 effort Endemic Divine.   Their 2019 effort follows a lot of similar elements and expands upon some.

Deivos play a form of brutal, groovy technical death metal that is a bit in its own sound from the rest of other Technical Death Metal Bands in Poland.  This is displayed in the 2^nd track Parallel Gods which brings back an element that I liked from Endemic Divine, the use of what sounds like a cowbell.  I kid you not.  I cannot think of too many other bands in metal that use this type of percussive element the specific way that these guys do.  This track and one later on during the album very much embrace this and makes for some unique elements on the album.

Having been around for twenty plus years these guys clearly has put a lot of time into their sound.   I had to go back to Endemic Divine to hear the difference in productions.  Casus Belli is much heavier and diverse album.  Tracks like “Bitter End” and “Victims” are quite abrasively ferocious and really do an excellent job of keeping the intensity of the album intact.  Remember the other track I talked about earlier with the awesome bell work?  That track is called “Nuclear Wind” and to me almost reminds me of the effect of the intro track of Slayer’s “Chemical Warfare”.   You got to love a vocalist with a name like “Angelfuck”.  The guitar work of Tomasz Kolcon and Msiclaw is quite locked and full of gain and vigor.  Krystof Saran on the drums thought is really the brightest spot of the album and his performance really ties the room together with this release.

This album wastes very little time in pummeling you to the ground like a ball peen hammer.  I would recommend for fans of: Krisiun, Decapitated, Morbid Angel, and Immolation.  Put this one on your albums you need to hear from 2019 list, because it gets catchier each time I listen to it.

2019 was an insanely busy year for Death metal in North America and internationally.  This one will definitely be in my best of the year review mix.  Clocking in at around thirty six minutes this one is right after the perfect length for a death metal album.  Selfmadegod records has done an amazing job with Deivos over their last three killer albums.  This one tops them all. Check it out.

[Visit the band's website]

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