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Deadborn - Mayhem Maniac Machine review



Reviewer:
6.0

11 users:
7.18
Band: Deadborn
Album: Mayhem Maniac Machine
Release date: April 2012


01. Premises Of Cryonics
02. Profanatic Reanimation
03. Bionic Abomination
04. Insane Motor Cortex
05. Replicants Device
06. Slaves Of Megatron
07. Reinvented Power Process
08. Second Order Cybernetics
09. Kraftwerk D

Yaaaaawn. Lately it's just been an onslaught of generic death metal albums. Occasionally something satisfying like Fisthammer comes along, but usually it's either re-hashed old school swedo' death or completely soulless tech death (and no, not soulless in that cool evil sounding way a la Dragged Into Sunlight.) Welcome to the bore club, Deadborn.

It's tech death, but not too techy. It's not melodeath, though. While some bands enjoy mixing the best of some sub-subgenres, Deadborn have managed to pick some of the least convincing parts. It's pretty forgettable, like a lot of tech death, but doesn't have that minimal level of frantic intensity that almost all tech death has.

Using the tag "tech-death" might be completely wrong here, though. These riffs don't sound as technical as they do half-cooked. In fact, the most appropriate way to describe Mayhem Maniac Machine would be to say it's generic death rhythm guitars with a few incongruous technical leads thrown on top. There's nothing wrong with not strictly fitting into one particular box, but Deadborn have managed to just perform a handful of death metal sounds in either a half-assed or completely generic manner.

The only real upshot to this whole thing is that it's got pretty decent production. The guitars are razor-sharp, the vocals are layered really nicely, and the drums definitely have a unique sound to them. After hearing tons of death metal absolutely butchered at the mixing board, it's kind of a shame to hear a decent job like this wasted on band that completely fails to cause any sort of arousal.

Writing review after review of unexciting death metal is an increasingly mundane task. Mayhem Maniac Machine get the arbitrary "thanks for coming out" score of 6 - well performed, but completely forgettable.





Written on 20.04.2012 by Former EIC. Now just a reviewer guy.


Comments

Comments: 3   Visited by: 110 users
20.04.2012 - 16:18
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
You have a tag issue in the last paragraph

Even though you think this is boring I still might check it out, I enjoy BTM, and with lead references this might be right up my alley.
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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20.04.2012 - 16:44
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Based on listening to one song on Youtube, this review sums up what I thought about four minutes' worth of music. I'd agree with the rating for now although I'd probably drop it a full point if I had to listen to the full album.

Not to mention you've been listening to a lot of stuff like this... so kudos for not bashing it just because.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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23.04.2012 - 06:16
Syk
myspace/bonerama
That's a shame. I liked their previous work; occasionally a couple of their songs would creep into my head, out of the blue. Admittedly, it usually took me a while to click with who wrote/performed the song/s. I don't expect I'll be seeing this in my local stores, anyway, so...

For fans of the style (tech death, though not too brutal nor too melodic) - and maybe others - I must recommend you check out what's listed on their Videos page here on MS. Great stuff for the ears and the eyes

edit - I'll add a note of "beware" if you're easily creeped out, but it's not as extreme as the visuals Cephalic Carnage have put out. Think more along the lines of Tool (the stuff from Undertow...)
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death ? thrash ? death/doom/prog ? Hail Zoldon!

he's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays
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