(c) Tim Tronckoe
While their various current and former bands – including Triptykon, Dark Fortress and Satyricon – stand for biting hardness and raging to deep black anger, they distance themselves Dead Eyed Creek of that. Although dark metallic sounds often find their way into the substructure, the international quartet’s real favorite is solid rock music from the 90s – grunge and alternative meet (oppressive) heaviness. After several singles, the first complete album is now available in the form of „Out Of Phase“ before.
Sounds weird? It’s not, and it’s certainly not uninspired – see and listen to “Uninspired.” Bad puns aside, this feat of strength at the heart of the debut sums up the band’s special charm. Smooth mid-tempo riffing combines Life Of Agony with Soundgarden and early Audrey Horne – unusual and at the same time fundamentally likeable and oppressive. In comparison, the opener “Viscid Dreams” is lively and biting. The strong guitar work always comes to the fore, producing strong riffs and finding space for one or two solos.
The star of this record is the Icelandic singer Einar Vilberg, whose voice shines with power and diversity. This becomes particularly clear in “Bleeding The Rain”, which initially, with its semi-ballad-esque tendencies, lives primarily from the strength of the protagonist, who does everything to resist this niceness, increasingly sings himself into a frenzy and leaves the band the wide field at the right moment. The wonderfully ponderous “Set Me Free” also sees Vilberg rise above himself, while the mid-tempo behemoth continues to swell in the background. You wait in vain for the supposed explosion, but that’s exactly the charm.
The abyss opens and Dead Eyed Creek pull downwards with their chaos of emotions. Here the musicians skillfully live out their penchant for dark to harsh sounds in a different way, make the heart a murderer’s pit and at the same time serve thick, oppressive intensity from the first to the last second. The power of “Out Of Phase” alone is fascinating and inspiring. Every song is a hit, every riff packs a punch in the jaw, plus a fantastic rock voice that you can’t hear enough of. With this strong start, Dead Eyed Creek gives hope that it won’t just be a small sideshow.
Rating: 9/10
Available from: January 17, 2024
Available from: Blood Blast Distribution
Facebook: www.facebook.com/deadeyedcreekofficial
Slider-Pic (c) Tim Tronckoe
Category: Magazin, Reviews