Deceiver - Thrashing Heavy Metal

I guess Deceiver doesn't leave much to the imagination. Indeed, they play thrashing heavy metal. They've only formed aboutfive years ago, and already have reportedly broken up. During that time mainman Pete Flesh (Maze Of Torment, Flesh), and his friends Crille Lundin (Maze Of Torment's bassist) and Magnus Flink (Flesh's drummer) recorded a self titled e.p. (2004) and two full lengths (2005's Riding With the Reaper and 2006's Holov Posen Tro May Trot).

There's an old school thrash sound here and it's got a sense of authenticy, especially for such a new band- but then again, Pete Flesh has proven he knows what vintage thrash and death metal is supposed to be all about. An aspect that finds its way into Deceiver's sound is the Iron Maiden-esque guitar harmonies. The sloppily played "Come of Death Toxication" and thrashing "Legacy" have a clear Iron Maiden influence. I enjoyed the riffing of "Blood of the Soul" and the vintage, catchy thrash of "Ghost of Souls and Inner Hate."

I'm usually not a huge fan of these retro thrash bands, but I believe Deceiver is honoring thrash's legacy and they write memorable riffs. However, their departure is not something to mourn- though Thrashing Heavy Metal is a much better album than their previous work.