Inflicted Deviations

Inflicted Deviations isn't quite as masterful as its direct followup, 66 Ways to Redemption, but there is still a lot to like here, especially for those partial to more modern melodic death substrates. Deviant Syndrome have that very distinct Russian sound, with bright, upbeat synths dominating the atmosphere ala Skyfire, and the riffs are chunky, albeit somewhat restrained on a technical level. The band feels comfortable operating at a mid-tempo wavelength, cutting deep with dual leads ala Norther and occasional outbursts of wank-inspired excess. Either way, this is some killer stuff, albeit not struck from exactly the same mold as the sophomore album.

"Blessing the Emptiness" catches melodeath lightning in a bottle, sounding about as melodically precise as humanly possible. The band layers the somewhat-buried synths in harmony with the lead guitar in a manner redolent of Sympuls-e and Solerrain. In this particular case, they sound far closer to the latter, largely due to the more prevalent Bodom influence. When Inflicted Deviations is on it is really on, but there are a few moments where the band lapses into more stock note progressions that test patience sooner than expected in relation with the superior remainder. "Seal of a Star Dweller" grabs a handful of Gothenburg influence and runs with it, with the drums scattering all over the place in the background like a spilled jar of marbles. The Skyfire parallels continue to draw themselves, evoking that pseudo-esoteric and cerebral slant similar to Spectral.

Some black metal inspired blasting intervals help divvy up the slower, more restrained sections, bifurcating with enough force to feel like more than extraneous window dressing. The drums have their moments of more focused double-bass, but the actual cadence of the band resides more in upper-mid paced territory. There are certainly darker moments to the album, so it doesn't feel like all sunshine and rainbows like Solerrain can at times. I also like how the band doesn't force the vocals down the listener's throat. They serve their caustic purpose only when needed, and there are long stretches of instrumental goodness. The thrashing, biting rapidity of "A Day to Fall" carries the day just fine without excessive vocals.

And at the end of the day, the more compact song length (Save for "Liberation") helps keep Inflicted Deviations within striking distance at any time, instead of stacking riff upon riff. Compared to most of their peers, Deviant Syndrome's formula crafts memorable and exciting tunes with wall-to-wall melodies that other bands are lucky to possess a handful of each album. This band might stylistically blend in with others, but there is something more to their music, an x factor that delivers an experience that resonates within you long after the listening is over. Check these guys out!