There haven’t really been very many records that have come out in the past few years that have been as anticipated and waited for as this one from DEVIATED INSTINCT. Just a smidge of history here folks…..
Back in 1988 I was a seventeen and thought I knew everything like all kids that age, but I was especially sure that I was special cause I often knew about the raging newer bands before the rest of my friends (with a couple of outstanding exceptions). One of the older punks from Boulder, Mike Stone, I think, said that DEVIATED INSTINCT were some killer shit to be on the lookout for. I first actually heard the mighty DEVIATED INSTINCT on a most unlikely source which was the Airstrip One UK compilation from Doug Moody/Mystic Records. They must have done some kind of swap with Hammy from Peaceville (that story is coming later) and it was a great compilation. Familiar names were on it like INSTIGATORS, NAPALM DEATH, OI POLLOI, RIPCORD and some new bands to me…DAN, HDQ, and DEVIATED INSTINCT. That track was Mechanical Extinction off the Rock N Roll Conformity LP and it instantly hooked me with its unique sound and insane vocals and I tried hard to find more but those were the days when it could take years to even hear more from an obscure band from some other part of the globe, literally. Now you can jump on the internet and hear anything anytime without many exceptions. About a year later the Guttural Breath LP came out and I snatched up a copy and relished in its own (very different sounding) glory. Anyway, to tell the long story short, I have been a fan a long time and have waited patiently for this beast to reawaken and begin its lumbering slaughter once more and that brings us to Liberty Crawls…To The Sanctuary Of Slaves.
My copy was delayed and ended up being hand delivered by Ben from Profane Existence while he was out on tour with IN DEFENCE and WARTORN. Once at home with my record player I eagerly threw it on and was satisfied almost immediately.
This four track platter just drips with seething power and fury. Strangely one of the first things I noticed about this was the presence of the drums. They seem much more “included” in the mix or something. Tony is a very precise and well timed drummer and he adds a ton to the overall sound of this. Not to discount the drummers on the earlier recordings, it just sounds like they took more time dialing in Tony’s drum sound and bringing it up in the mix to the benefit of the whole. The guitars still rage with a chunking, throaty growl that we have all come to expect from DEVIATED INSTINCT. There is a lot more control on this record with regard to all the instruments. These guys show that they are still able to devastate but are today able to do it with confidence and mastery and not just sheer unbridled passion. The passion is here but seems grounded somehow by the control and precision. Maybe the feeling of control comes partly from the mid to slow-pace of the tempo of these songs. While it doesn’t really sound like Streetcleaner-era GODFLESH, there is something about this that makes me keep thinking of that, maybe it is the tempo again. Leggo and Mid both share in the vocal duties but Mid seems to take a much more diminished role as vocalist on this recording. Leggo has evolved his sound into a slightly more death metal vocal style and it works here while still remaining true to his own roots. He maintains all the fury and force that he developed as a younger lad keeping his vocals intelligible and the lyrics poignant and barbed. I do have to say though that there is something slight that I miss within the vocals from the olden days….maybe there is less of a Norfolk/Norwich twang (if thats what it was) in their voices that made them so instantly recognizable in the past. The last track titled Blandscape Slavebait though came pretty close with Mid adding more vocals than on the other tracks. Snapa fires away with the bass as if you are looking down the tube of a mortar. Killer bass lines that glue it all together with a simplicity that many bassists cannot seem to maintain. Sometimes its about the notes that aren’t being played especially when it comes to the bass and Snapa is simultaneously doing his own thing while laying down a solid and no-frills foundation for these tracks. These tracks were all recorded and mixed at the legendary 1in12 club in Bradford with Bri from DOOM at the helm and it sounds amazing.
Now the US pressing of this Ep from Profane Existence comes on cute pinky/purple vinyl and has four tracks but there are six on the european pressing (Nakkeskudd Platter) and thankfully all six are included on the download card that comes inside the US press. The two additional tracks are End Times and Judas Cancer, the latter being a reprisal of their seminal classic Cancer Spreading and it sounds fucking great. And to top it all off this has amazing artwork both inside and out, courtesy of Mid who has been the gold standard for heavy music artwork for years. If you haven’t already, look up his Bonehive website and see some of his work.
I for one am SO glad that they returned in 2007 for the Feeding of the Five Thousand show and got enough out of that to warrant their continued efforts. Seeing them recently at Chaos in Tejas was something I never thought could happen but when its right, its right and THIS is RIGHT. Do yourself a favor and get this record.
DEVIATED INSTINCT are still my thing after all these years…..and somehow, as unlikely as that might seem, that is comforting to me. (Val) GRAB YOUR COPY HERE!
Profane Existence / PO Box 18051 / Minneapolis, MN / 55418
http://www.profaneexistence.com
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