Band:	Clawfinger
Album:	Deaf Dumb Blind
Style:	Alternative metal, Nu metal
Release date:	April 21, 1993
Guest review by:	Xim

01. Nigger
02. The Truth
03. Rosegrove
04. Don't Get Me Wrong
05. I Need You
06. Catch Me
07. Warfair
08. Wonderful World
09. Sad To See Your Sorrow
10. I Don't Care
11. Get It [bonus]
12. Profit Preacher [bonus]
13. Stars & Stripes [bonus]

For the pioneering rap-metal band Clawfinger, Deaf, Dumb and Blind is where it all started with these guys. It set their style of hard-hitting metal songs, with raps about a broad amount of subjects, such as politics, anti-racism and financial and emotional struggles all of which would become recurring themes in their later albums. I find this album to be a great debut, and a great example of how nu-metal can be done right.

The playing style obviously isn't all crazy power-thrash. This is a nu-metal album and that's not really what I would find suitable for the style, the simple yet heavy riffing is perfect for the music. It is clear they wanted to come up with something that sounded "good" over something that sounded complex and "true metal". Although I'm all for complex sounding music, sometimes it's just best to keep the music simple, especially for a band that is very driven by their lyrics. Although there is some rather funky-complex playing such as in the song "I Don't Care" which features a pretty crazy solo, which sounds like a bass solo but I could be mistaken. The sound also ranges with a rather haunting sound on a few tracks. The way the styles of the tracks are divided up is rather well done, as it starts off with a few heavy-hitters and then moves onto the haunting songs and then from there on it goes back to heavier songs, getting a bit more intense until the end.

The lyrics in general are probably the strongest point on the album. Although they are rather explicit the message in them is very clear and strong. You can tell these guys are pissed off about certain things going on in the world and they want them to change.

The first track "Nigger", despite the name being an infamous racial slur and being performed by white people, has a strong anti-racism message. It declares that black people shouldn't be putting themselves down by calling themselves such an awful word. It also bashes people who use that word in a negative way and preach racism and that he's ashamed to be associated with such people.

Some of the songs have some rather funny lyrics in it, such as "I had it up to here with your shit and your piss" making it pretty clear these guys have a sense of humour, even when pissed off. Your opinion may vary on whether it's good to throw in some comic relief or not, but personally I think it's great as it adds some comic relief when done in moderation so it doesn't sound stupid. One track "Get It" (which was originally a bonus track but it replaced the (in)famous track "Nigger" on the North American version) is a song whose lyrics consist entirely of hilariously vulgar and angry threats, not a song for the timid.

Overall, this is a great album and a must listen for anyone who enjoys nu-metal. Even if you're not a fan of the style, maybe give it a try anyways because this is nu-metal done right, with bad-ass guitars and vocals, great songwriting and very well written lyrics with a clear message to them.