Review: “Self Titled” by DeathAssault

“This album isn’t just a collection of songs. It’s a statement. This is who we are—raw and real. It’s a musical interpretation of our souls, minds, and beliefs. We want people to think about the world, about themselves, and about what they’ve done in life. This is DeathAssault.” ~ Darrell Baker, vocals

Born in the backwoods of Plymouth in 2022, citing the usual suspects that are Sepultura, Lamb of God, Slayer and Slipknot as inspiration, drummer Levi Spry, bassist Wiktor Osiecki, guitarist duo Bill Mander and Jake Ackrell joined vocalist Darrell Baker in DeathAssault. Self describing as a Fusion Metal band a year later the dropped a self titled debut EP which provided enough ammunition to take them into the final of Metal 2 The Masses for the opportunity to play the New Blood stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival. Now, two years on, they return with a self titled debut album that promises something that captures the unrestrained power of the bands live shows while delivering a message that is both intense and deeply personal…

Have you seen enough horror movies to know what happens once the serial killer makes a phone call? A warped voice sets a sinister tone as introduction piece “The Masterpiece of Murder” plays out, sounding very much like it was recorded by an inhabitant of Arkham Asylum. Just as you expect the band to roar into something intense there is a momentary silence before the first track proper “Ashes Of Reality” begins and because the sound levels are vastly different some of the impact is lot. Listen to the song standalone and you’ll hear angst, rage and volatility from Baker as he vents his spleen over cascading riffs which flirt with Nu-Metal in keeping with the introspective lyrics. There are even hints at Groove and Traditional Heavy Metal that crawl out of the woodwork and even more so with “Replaced” which has at its bitter black heart an eclectic solo to accompany the unhinged vocal performance. While it doesn’t sound like a demo, the recording quality doesn’t do justice to the complexity of Levi Spry’s drumming, which if you listen closely is awe inspiring. That’s evident at the start of the powerful “We Will Remain“, a track which has a distinctive Marilyn Manson inspired clean vocal moment in amongst the roars. There is also a melodic drop off for a clean sung verse that then leads into a virtuoso solo which creates the kind of grand finale that works incredibly well live but doesn’t necessarily translate on studio material.

The Slipknot inspired Nu-Metal of “Falling Down” is arguably the most powerful piece on the record, the drum sound from 1999 captured impressively as the band batter their way through the melancholia tinged angry anthem, the melodic parts counter balancing the rabid moments nicely. “Pro Crisis” makes it back to back tracks with a longer more melodic introduction before bursting into flames, this one having some tasty scream-a-long parts as Baker vents his spleen once more. As good as it is, there is also a sense that with a little refinement, the assistance of decent producer and a better recording studio, they could easily squeeze another ten percent out of these songs. Another serial killer inspired sample plays out with interlude “Lament Of The Insane” something which serves as an introduction to “My Insanity“, the first of four back to back six and a half minute surpassing pieces. Capturing the bands live energy far better than anything that came before it, this one works incredibly well thanks to its free flowing form, as if it was recorded live on the floor of the studio. From feral roars to pounding rhythms and groove laced guitars, it all slots together neatly, the Grunge inspired clean vocal moment at the very end a nice touch.

The strained clean vocals at the start of “Forgotten” are quickly cast aside by a brutal verse before an ill-advised rap that feels like a fish out of water, the anthemic nature of the chorus saving this one in style. Again what this one lacks is refinement; if it was shorter and sharper then it would have more impact because there is so much quality in it. The drums, bass, guitars and microphone are indeed a threat. The rage is replaced by a rich early 90’s style melody in “Winds Of The Past“, all clean vocals and Grunge guitars until a step up in the middle that works incredibly well. Strangely the band make the decision to carry on with the melodic lament after the songs natural ending which is nice enough but doesn’t really go anywhere before they reach the inception level madness that is “DeathAssault” by DeathAssault from DeathAssault. After the melody of the previous cut this one hits like a brick to the skull, the Thrash infused riffs good old fashioned fun, as is the primal energy and almost tribal drum pattern towards the end.

Imagine if you will that it’s 1998 and Slipknot are in their rehearsal space putting together that would eventually become their seminal 1999 self titled album. The band are sitting around, talking nonsense, watching horror movies on VHS and recording parts that they all think are cool on a four track tape, a tape that will eventually wind up in the hands or Ross Robinson. As fans, we’d all love to hear that tape retrospectively because it would be full of hidden gems and magic moments that simply didn’t make the cut, for whatever reason. Fast forward to to the self titled album from DeathAssault and suddenly that analogy or vision becomes very real. Like “The War Of Art” by American Head Charge, another seminal album in its own right, this record is full of rough, uncut diamonds and has some fantastic ideas but in all honesty is in need of some refinement. Make no mistake, there is a great albums worth of material in here and in the hands of a decent producer what you’d end up with is a leaner, meaner record with some solid angry anthems on it [7/10]

Track Listing

1. The Masterpiece of Murder
2. Ashes Of Reality
3. Replaced
4. We Will Remain
5. Falling Down
6. Pro Crisis
7. Lament Of The Insane (interlude)
8. My Insanity
9. Forgotten
10. Winds Of The Past
11. DeathAssault

“Self Titled” by DeathAssault is out 13th February 2026