Review: “Saudade” by Deez Nuts

After six albums, an EP and stage dives and high fives all around the globe there was always a question mark in the air over whether or not much loved Australian Hardcore crew Deez Nuts would have the heart to go on after bassist Sean Kennedy committed suicide aged 35 in February 2021. It was a moment of tragedy against a backdrop of a world suffering from a great plague and when you add to that the mixed reaction to 2019 album “You Got Me F***ed Up” and in particular its clean vocals, there was a school of thought that said the band would simply fade into the night.

However without much in the way of fanfare aside from the consistent drop of advanced tracks, vocalist JJ Peters and guitarist Matthew “Real Bad” Rogers have returned with a new rhythm section of drummer Jesse Labovitz (No Warning) and bassist Apolinário Correia  (Devil In Me, Sam Alone & The Gravediggers) and a new album. Produced by Andrew Neufeld of Comeback Kid fame alongside Callan Orr (Make Them Suffer, Caliban, Death In Bloom), the ten track affair was recorded by Carlos Rocha before being mixed and mastered by Jon Markson (Drug Church, Kharma, One Step Closer). The album title? “Saudade” is a Portuguese and Galician term that describes a deep emotional state of melancholic longing for someone or something that is absent. It originates from the Latin word for solitude. This feeling is often linked with the understanding that the object of longing might never come back again. The word Saudade covers memories of feelings, experiences, places, or events that evoke a sense of separation from the joy they once brought…

Deez Nuts get punchy from the get go with “ICU“, a track about addiction that is going to put plenty of bounce in the mosh pit when they take it to the stage. Another classic line from JJ Peters cracks a smile in “Glad I made it out alive just to tell the tale, S*** – I went straight from rehab to Sony just to sign the deal, Leg shaking like a f**kin’ dog pissin’, Skin crawling like there’s f**kin’ bugs in him” before a thumping breakdown style section hits is a master stroke and it very much feels like the band have hit their stride. The same can be said of arguably the heaviest track on the record in “Kill This Shit“, an affair which is front-loaded with adrenaline fuelled aggression. An absolute barnstormer of a Hardcore track that packs a serious punch, it simply screams “we’re back!” and its time to go toe to toe with our enemies once more. Hell’s teeth it even has a “Bleigh!” moment in its ethereal darkness as JJ Peters says he’s taking no prisoners, the track taking a leaf out of the book of bands like Nasty and Lionheart. One of those timeless Hardcore Punk tracks that a band serves up to remind you just who they are lyrically, while “5 Gold Chains” doesn’t do anything new, its as slick a return as any Deez Nuts fan could have asked for. Riffs fly in all directions after a glorious pick slide and JJ Peters vocals have a far better balance than they did on the bands last album. His hip-hop style barked delivery in the verses is tempered with a gruffer sing-a-long chorus which is not only catchy but will go down well live, the gang chanted style backing on those working very well.

Keeping the energy and aggression levels high “Russian Roulette” has flirts with the clean vocals on a couple of occasions but keeps it tasteful and doesn’t take them too far. A couple of fleeting moments of lead guitar are a nice touch, giving the track something different to break up the repeating patterns. The sung opening verse of “Uncut Gems” threatens to derail the train but the step-up into rapid fire riffs with fresh intensity is a masterstroke with JJ Peters still having plenty to rant and rave about. By the time the clean sung vocal returns in the final verse (note, not the mid section) it feels more expected and grows on you over multiple listens. Potential misstep skillfully avoided. Turning up the intensity a notch or two with more crunch in the guitars “Miss Me With That” finds JJ Peters venting his spleen about someone running their mouth and having fun with it. Lines like “Miss me with that bullshit, I got PTSD, you a f***ing drama tourist!” crack a smile, the gang chants once again adding another dimension. Playful guitars bring it home and for anyone who has followed the band for the duration of their career, this fits into any career spanning set they might play live comfortably. “Hang The Hangman” features an obvious guest vocal appearance from Andrew Neufeld of Comeback Kid, Real Bad bringing some weighty riffs. A catchy chorus and a huge breakdown section clearly designed for a wall of death live makes this one a clear standout in half an hour of Hardcore power.

There was always going to be one song that was almost completely clean sung and that is “God Damn“, a track with sing-a-long ability in high energy heavy end Punk-Pop style. The issue with it isn’t the clean vocals because they aren’t cheesy or cringe worthy or anything like that, the issue is that this one simply doesn’t sound all that much like Deez Nuts. Its just a bit plain and in that you can kind of take it or leave it. If you like A Day To Remember then you’re going to love it. Fortunately its not a moment on which the band dwell because “Give ‘Em Hell” comes from an entirely different place, the fierce lyrical flow accompanied by a clenched fist of rage and tight rhythms. JJ Peters asks the question about who is with him and his crew after all these years and you can see where he’s coming from. What no one expected was the violins at the start of “Cold Sweat” but after a glorious pick slide another tale of drugs and debauchery in pure Hardcore plays out as Peters confesses to his addictions. A sweet tooth for poisonous pills doesn’t necessarily excuse the orchestral embellishments but fortunately they’re fleeting rather than being over powering. All in all a solid return from a band who have been through the wringer and survived to tell the tale [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. ICU
2. Kill This Shit
3. 5 Gold Chains
4. Russian Roulette
5. Uncut Gems
6. Miss Me With That
7. Hang The Hangman (ft. Andrew Neufeld of Comeback Kid)
8. God Damn
9. Give ‘Em Hell
10. Cold Sweat

“Saudade” by Deez Nuts is out 31st October 2025 via Century Media