Review: “Death Keeps” by Dark Deeds

“We wanted to make the recording process unique and memorable, so we hit the road in a 14-foot camper, traveling around Wisconsin to write and record our music. This mobile studio experience was fun and inspired us in ways we hadn’t imagined.” ~ Death Keeps

Back in the day it used to be dirty deeds done dirt cheap but then it became you keep what you kill with the rise of the Necromongers and that seems to be the rule that Milwaukee based deathcore quartet Dark Deeds are living by with their debut EP “Death Keeps“. Mixed by Jonathan Dolese (Half Me, For The Fallen Dreams, Weeping Hour) at Konkrete Studios, it’s already seen first single “Leech” earn the better part of 16k of streams on Spotify alone in the eight weeks before the records release. As if that wasn’t enough, armed with an eight string headless guitar and a five string bass for full effect, the band played their first live show in five long years at Falcon Bowl alongside Stolen Sun, Spread Thin and Somber Season on 27th July…

Whether it’s meant as an introduction piece or not, an introspective lyrical narrative alongside crushing down tuned eight string guitars packing a mid tempo groove as the tale of “Found Underneath a Cold Knife” unfolds sets the scene and almost instantly puts the band alongside the likes of Extortionist or The Last Ten Seconds of Life in style. A fierce 90 second cathartic venomous rant that lets out inner demons, it’s acts as a wake up call with the mid tempo chugs before leading straight into the eerie “Leech“. Brutal staccato riff breaks are chemically enhanced by a haunting quality of icy notes in a second guitar layer, the track pitched for the slower head bang mass appeal and earning it in style. There is even time for a slick downtempo closing before the anti religious rhetoric from Rami Malek’s character Elliot Anderson in Mr Robot creates “Apostate“. That’s the introduction piece for “Dogma“, a cut which changes the direction of the record by calling out those who would use the name of God for their own ill gotten gain while claiming the being as a mythical one. As a track it works because of its simplicity, allowing the lyrics delivered with a rasping bellow to hit home. The chorus is a little more sonically involved but in truth it doesn’t need to be, the essence of a Hardcore track cranked up with the use of punchier tones working well.

A haunting 911 call recording brings in “Remorse“, a cut with a deeper, darker atmospheric that also features some of the lyrics from the opening cut that give the two tracks a nice continuity. There is plenty to think about in these tracks and the walk down the left hand path on the darker side of the tracks continues with the dirty chugs of “King of Pentacles“. Bitter and twisted, it has a surprising amount of groove laden swagger to it while the contrast between the bellow of the main vocal and the shriller uncleans of the backing vocal is a nice touch. By the end it becomes a death march with flies surrounding the corpse of whoever crossed the bands path. Flirting with break beat style drum patterns, the churning “Death Keeps” has at its beating black heart a Slam vocal inspired death growl passage with a colossal breakdown. It’s the thing that should not be, a beast from the black depths that continues bleak narrative to its bitter conclusion in style. A solid slab of anvil heavy Deathcore that will give you pause for thought [7/10]

Track Listing

1. Found Underneath a Cold Knife
2. Leech
3. Apostate
4. Dogma
5. Remorse
6. King of Pentacles
7. Death Keeps (ft. Bind the Sacrifice)

“Death Keeps” by Dark Deeds is out 10th August 2024