Horror Pain Gore Death Productions proudly present the classic and long out of print debut Deeds Of Flesh album "Trading Pieces"! Originally released on June 13th 1996 via Repulse Records, none are more vile than Deeds Of Flesh on "Trading Pieces"... true innovators of violence and pioneers of brutal, technical Death Metal. "Trading Pieces" still stands out as one of the most creative, unique and vicious releases of the 90's that is worthy of repeat listens. Pushing the limits of technicality and brutality, Deeds Of Flesh unleash a masterpiece of twisted, pummeling, blasting and slamming savagery that is complex, technical, and maddening. Ultra-guttural deranged vocals, razor-sharp relentless riffs, frantic chaotic bass and bone-crushing inhuman drumming make "Trading Pieces" a sinister slab of Death Metal perfection. This officially licensed reissue features an all new layout design and is dedicated to Deeds Of Flesh founder Erik Lindmark... Rest In Power! For fans of Broken Hope, Cannibal Corpse, Cryptopsy, Dying Fetus, Defeated Sanity, Devourment, Disgorge, Gorguts, Immolation, Internal Bleeding, Pyrexia and Suffocation
As far as their discography goes, Trading Pieces is the one that sounds off to the side a little bit. The rest of the albums—all of them—feel a little bit different. Trading Pieces has a little bit of quasi-slam parts that work incredibly well and really add a lot to the 30 minute masterstroke on offer here. That said, a lot of the trademark Deeds of Flesh facets are here in spades; it's brutally heavy, lightning-fast with mind-bending labyrinthine riffs that twist and turn and never, ever repeat. There is just so, so much going on here that it's almost impossible to unpack after just a couple of listens. It takes a little while to truly makes sense of and appreciate all that is going on here. Although the complexity would skyrocket on later releases, what's on offer here is definitely complex, technical, and maddening in many ways. I will say that it's probably their most 'accessible' record, most likely thanks to the short song lengths and quasi-slam parts mentioned previously. That said, it really is a lot to unpack.
The vocals are fucking perfect. Ultra-guttural, forceful and deranged without sounding like a pig or a cricket. In addition, there are frantic high-pitched screams peppered throughout each track, and the dichotomy between them is invigorating and jarring all at once. The vocal patterns are quite good, especially when the music slows down (but really, only for a couple of seconds) and the vocals get deeper. There is a strong synergy between the music and vocals and it really helps the album flow through to the end.
The drumming is absolutely stellar on this record. Fast, frantic and punchy. There is no triggering on the double bass, which makes each kick extremely satisfying, especially with good headphones. (pro-tip, if you can spare the cash, check out the Audio Technica MSR7B. Perfect cans for death metal). The drumming on this release is absolutely bonkers, with crushing double bass and incredible start-stop-blast-slam-blast-blast-fill-stop-start-blast elements going on. It's extremely effective and the drumming is probably the best part of this album. It's a phenomenal performance.
The guitars are great on this album. Razor-sharp and relentless. Every riff takes you down another dark corridor and you WILL get lost the first few times you hear this album, but give it a few more listens and you will fully appreciate the stunning technical prowess on display here. Now, I say technical, but I don't mean wanky noodling like a lot of TDM bands do, this is just bizarre, non-stop time changes and riffs that do not repeat, but instead expand into a massive web of chaotic glory. This is an album that rewards you each time you listen to it. I've genuinely played it five or six times this week and I am STILL hearing things I hadn't noticed previously.
Bass is there. It's audible, and it is just as manic and chaotic as the guitar work. I never have much to say about bass, but it quite satisfying the way it beefs up the low end on this album. For a first album, this one is fucking killer. It's just unbelievably good and it never, ever gets old or boring. This is an album you absolutely cannot miss if you appreciate death metal. Holy fuck.
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