Band:	Deinonychus
Album:	Deinonychus
Style:	Black metal, Doom metal
Release date:	2000
A review by:	KwonVerge

01. You Died Before I Was Finished
02. Inspiring Vulnerable Thought
03. One Day
04. Building The Paradox
05. This, A Murder Of Crows
06. Balaam Wore Black
07. The Hollow Cage Of My Ribs
08. Why Is It That Angels Speak Such Evil?

Marco Kehren is one of the greatest personalities in the 90s doom metal scene whether he explores more black or more death metal oriented soundscapes. He also always keeps the elements that were overrunning Deinonychus' compositions through their whole history - the haunting and distressing atmosphere and desperate, death-like and painful emotions.

Doom/black-dark metal with personality and at its finest is what Marco Kehren offers with "Deinonychus" and I deeply understand why Deinonychus are being mentioned amongst the first names when a discussion concerning doom/black metal opens. The only thing you have to do to realize it yourself is to listen to "Deinonychus" and since you have remained speechless of what a masterpiece you cherished you'd want to let it echo in your somber room for one more time, and then again and again. Marco Kehren pours his heart and soul for one more time into his compositions and everything in this brilliant piece of bitter art seems perfect, the emotions that come forth, the atmosphere that floats in the air, the words Marco utters, the music that surrounds you in such a sullen way, the lyrics that burn deep within your soul...

The first thing that impresses the listener when he bears witness of the grandeur of Deinonychus is the vocals of Marco Kehren. Just listen to him interpreting the lyrics and you'll definitely find out that he's one of the best interpreters in the whole 90s doom metal scene. Whether he screams in a tormented mourning way, grunts in an abysmal manner, whispers, recites in a baritone way, sings or screams in an intense crying way he sounds so dramatic, expressive and real, feeling every single word he utters from the depths of his soul.

The guitars are very doomy, with a black metal touch in them and they leave scars in the soul of the listener. They pave the way for Marco Kehren's vivid interpretation (an interpretation that harmonizes wonderfully with the haunting keyboard melodies that float through the whole duration of the album). The rhythm section is apparent and lends groove to the compositions creating walls of sound surrounding the listener, adding to the album an imposing feeling as it flows.

"Deinonychus" balances between aggression and atmosphere, having its more raging, straight in-your-face and extremely depressive and emotional moments, but also placing in between the overall pessimistic aggression more atmospheric, grieving and melancholic passages drowning the listener in another oblivious world. The whole album flows as one and it is almost flawless with raging pieces of woeful art like "You Died Before I Was Finished", "Inspiring Vulnerable Thought", "Building The Paradox" and "This, A Murder Of Crows", but also "softer" atmospheric, mourning still, compositions like "One Day", "Why Is That Angel's Speak Such Evil?" and "The Hollow Cage Of My Ribs". The only "problem" with "Deinonychus" is its production which is good, but it could have been better for such a monumental piece of suicidal art.

A must-have for all the adorers of extreme depressive music because such pieces of Art are not being released every day.