
Metal of (tragic) death
No one should be surprised if Nucleus turns out to be the final studio output from this long-serving brutal tech-death battalion. That Deeds of Flesh’s ninth album even exists is a crowning achievement in making sweet lemonade when life hands you the worst lemons.
Almost exactly two years prior to the writing of this dispatch, sclerosis took the life of vocalist/guitarist/Unique Leader honcho/indisputable death metal devotee Erik Lindmark. In the face of tragedy, it would have been easiest for surviving members to raise the white flag, but given the amount of new material sitting on hard drives and in the creative holsters of guitarist Craig Peters, bassist Ivan Munguia and drummer Darren Cesca since 2013’s Portals to Canaan, a new chapter seemed appropriate. In a heartwarming show of support and friendship, Nucleus not only brought former members Mike Hamilton and Jacoby Kingston back into the fold, but had Luc Lemay, George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, John Gallagher, Frank Mullen, Matti Way and others contributing guest vocals in salutation.
As such, Nucleus stands as an ultimate send-off—through injury, hardship and into his final days, Lindmark lived death metal, and having ex-members, friends and colleagues come together to contribute to that which flows through the veins of all involved demonstrates multi-directional impact and respect. As expected, it’s plenty brutal, as dizzying time and tempo changes provide ballast for riffs mimicking a pack of starving leopards fighting over a freshly slain, overweight antelope. Kingston and guests throttle their larynxes in celebration of both the inherent musical power and the unity provided by the DM scene. Rest in power; only death is real.
Review taken from the January 2021 issue of Decibel, which is available here.