Murder Within Sin

Blistering Belgian death metal. Deformity were nominally part of the Flanders H8000 hardcore scene, with some members playing in local hardcore bands (i.e., Congress and Solid). Deformity was a different beast to any other H8000 band. The band's previous EP ("Misanthrope") felt like a middle ground between death metal and metalcore (leaning towards the former). This debut album, released two years later, was pure death metal.

This is my favourite death metal album of the late nineties. The band's lean, song-orientated approach is more appealing than any contemporary alternatives (i.e., the super-fast Cryptopsy style, the ultra-brutal Nile style, the overly melodic Arch Enemy style, etc.). I love how Deformity approached death metal from a hardcore perspective. Everything is tight and infectious. The band are excellent musicians, but they never over-play and there are few (if any) solos. All the focus is on motion and dynamics. A perfect example of this is the dead-stop towards the end of "Bloodfields", which leads into screams of "NO-ONE GETS OUT ALIVE!!". This is exactly what I want from death metal; threat, danger, rage.

The songs are consistent and good. The likes of "Speak Out My Name" and "Misanthrope" balance brutality, athleticism, vocal hooks and savage breakdowns. The undisputed highlight of the album is "The Dark Sun", anchoring everything from the middle of the track-listing. This is one of the great unknown songs in death metal history. It begins with a Slayer-ish riff, then then opens up into a bruising pile of riffs, high-pitched screams and deep growls. This is explosive in a way that most death metal has never sought to be.

The entire album is over in 27 minutes. Only one song breaks the three minute mark. The only moment of indulgence is the acoustic song, "Angelheart". This track is excellent in its own right, and serves as a great prelude to “The Dark Sun”. This album is an example of death metal that focuses on efficiency and impact, not technique and atmosphere. The latter two are both here too, but they arise because of the focus on the former. "Murder Within Sin" is the best kept secret in late nineties death metal.