66 Ways to Redemption

If somebody asked me to demonstrate what is so great about Russian melodeath, I would cite three bands in particular: Sympuls-e, Sunless Rise and Solerrain. There are a number of second/third tier clingers-on like Scartown and FateScorn, but Moscow's Deviant Syndrome are somewhat harder to categorize. At times, these guys sound like they can go toe-to-toe with the best of them, but these moments are generally fleeting. They sound quite regional, with that striking melodic style that so many of these bands share. They also eschew the blatant Children of Bodom worship that Solerrain uses as their calling card. 66 Ways to Redemption is a melodic tour de force, an album that upends most challengers in terms of both memorability and raw sinew. From ephemerally folk-infused melodies to blasting intervals plucked straight from modern tech death bands... it's all here to one degree or another.

The more metal constituent of Deviant Syndrome's sound can be traced to more recent genre figureheads like Bloodshot Dawn, with rollicking chugs dotting the sonic landscape; one dominated by more structured epic note progressions alongside scattered technical tangents. Keyboards are fairly prominent, albeit taking a more backseat support role. Olga Orekhova has a fine ear for the style she puts forth, and while solos are rare, she nails the Eastern European style of melodeath keys, wherein there is less and emphasis on faux-orchestral padding and more use of electronic effects and such. This makes sections of 66 Ways to Redemption sound more regional than anything, but there are surface level comparisons that can be drawn to a gazillion bands, so we won't focus on that for too long.

Either way, there is very little to complain about on the A side of the album, sans the distracting overuse of sound clips. It is during the latter half wherein 66 Ways to Redemption begins to show is more eclectic spots, pursuant to more progressive and far-reaching compositions. This results in an unbalanced listen, but this band is so busy that stagnation will find no home here. Lack of direction can, however, and this is risked on a number of the latter cuts. The technical death metal flourishes were particularly invigorating in these environs, helping cement the band in a more structured sound where others would lose focus. Standouts include "Obsession: Hate Campaign," with its obtuse lead intervals and chunky rhythm assault, and the lead foot stomp of "Judgement: Your Bloodstained Path." Man, there are plenty of great songs here.

My main complaint is with the vocalist, as expected. His harsh drawl is delivered via that same sneering subtext that grows tiring throughout the course of a longplay. A lot of these Russian bands like to experiment with competent cleans, like Sympuls-e. Sadly that isn't the case with Deviant Syndrome, but the strengths far outweigh these shortcomings. "Judgement: Your Bloodstained Path" has to be one of my favorite recent finds in the genre, it is technical without feeling gratuitous and builds tension in a great way. This band kicks all sort of ass, and while many of the names I drop tend to be too obscure to be of much use to the casual listener, I know that Sunless Rise is gaining some popularity. So if you like them, you shouldn't miss this one.