by Alexandra Mrozowska
– Senior Columnist–
It might have been your grandmother, or perhaps a kindergarten teacher, who first told you to never judge a book by its cover. Then you grow up only to learn there is something entirely genuine about this proverbial wisdom, applicable to all spheres of life and human work, music included. Think album covers – misleading as they can only get. With a title that reads Men Become Gods and a cover artwork embellished with naked demigods flexing their muscles, axes in hand and horned helmets on their heads, and never having heard about Dead Earth Politics before, you could have suspected the Austin-based quintet is just another clichéd Power Metal band. False! And even though the band cites Iron Maiden as one of their biggest influences, be sure the fact their including Slayer, Carcass and Candlemass on the same list of inspirations wasn’t really a matter of accident.
The opening track “Casting Stones” blast through the listener’s speakers with the power of the hurricane, filling the air with a lavish dose of aggressive, throaty chant and thick, modern guitar sounds. However, in about two minutes into the song, it slows down a bit to reveal more progressive flavors to the band’s music, with the majestic guitar solo having an almost Neo-classical feel to it – only to drown in the sea of metal frenzy further on. In terms of song structure as well as the sound, the follow-up “Men Become Gods” is no different from its predecessor as it effectively blends heavy, furious, sharp riffs with more progressive tints. ‘80s Thrash-infused “Ice & Fire” rockets forward at breakneck speed – no seat belts buckled up – embroidered with a Maiden-esque solo part. It precedes the fourth and final track of the EP – “Crimson Dichotomy” that starts in a dreamy, slightly psychedelic manner as if it had been gravitating towards metal balladry, but eventually morphs into a lumbering, aggressive piece instead. A punchy final to the seventeen minutes of pure metal madness.
Dead Earth Politics’ EP Men Become Gods is Thrash, Heavy and Progressive Metal all blended into one, cohesive entity and their own way of labeling themselves simply as Metal is thus perhaps the most accurate way of doing it. Although predominantly a Thrash/Groove metal band, they skillfully blur the boundaries between genres in a way that makes them stand out from their league. And as their newly released EP proved, this Texan quintet still remains an act all fans of such sound aesthetics should keep on their radar.
Genre: Metal, Thrash Metal
Band:
Mason – drums
Will – bass
Tim – smart guitar
Ven – vocals
Aaron – stunt guitar
Tracklist:
1. Casting Stones
2. Men Become Gods
3. Ice & Fire
4. Crimson Dichotomy
Label: Genuine Recordings Austin
Website: http://www.deadearthpolitics.com – https://www.facebook.com/deadearthpolitics
Hardrock Haven rating: 6.5/10
