Deiquisitor – Apotheosis – Album Review

A death metal highpoint!

Posted on January 2, 2023 by Paul Hutchings in Reviews

Some of the music I’ve reviewed for release in 2023 has been subtle, crafted and at times quite fragile. This album is nothing like that. In fact, if you want the soundtrack to a road traffic collision in slow motion, then the fourth full-length from Danish trio Deiquisitor are just the ticket! Formed in 2013, these Danes have been delivering their brand of death metal for a decade and show no signs of slowing down and Apotheosis is a feisty wall of assault and battery that will leave you reeling!

Apotheosis delivers nine tracks of spine crushing death metal that traverses over you with pulverising effect for its entire 40 minutes. Defined by a punishing, driving base of bass and relentless battering drumming, Deiquisitor‘s wall of brutality cements the music that spews forth. Themes include occult science, ancient mysteries, and themes of the apocalypse. It’s a bludgeoning session to absorb, all delivered with an assured confidence that comes from the trio’s experience in the Danish scene.

“Humanoid” opens the album superbly. Bulldozer-like in its destructiveness, this aural assault is unrelenting in its savagery and leaves the listener in both shock and awe. With the bruising style of Obituary’s power and Cannibal Corpse‘s intensity, this melting pot of blistering death metal is raw at times, certainly dark, and also contains the odd surprise – such as the almost avant-garde ending to “Humanoid” which segues into the blistering “Striving for Destruction”. This battery continues throughout the album, and by the time you arrive at final track “Praise the Lord”, it’s likely that you’ll be bruised and aching. Ultimately, Apotheosis is an intense and pulverising slab of death metal that has one intention – 100% damage!

The riffs are heavy, oh so heavy, and as you’d expect, they fall like rain as the album progresses. It’s a tumultuous explosion that fires the passion, stokes the rage, and generally draws on the roots of the old school death metal scene.

Recorded at at Phlegm Studios in Lejre and mixed and mastered by Greg Wilkinson of Earhammer Productions, Deiquisitor manage to capture a blend of OSDM with a contemporary feel. It may not float every boat, but if you like your metal savage and angry, then Apotheosis may very well be your thing! 7/10