ARTIST: Deadline
ALBUM NAME: Abigail’s Crypt
RELEASE DATE: 23 April 2021
COUNTRY: South Africa
CITY: Pretoria
GENRE: Old School Heavy Metal
Members:
Jessy Switchblade (Vocals)
Raven Chaos (Guitar)
Judge Mental (Guitar)
Dizzy Styxx (Drums)
The Skullprit (Guitar)
The Casual Doctor (Bass)
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]“We are metal! We are fire! We are legacy! We are energy! We are power!” These are the bold proclamations made by Pretoria based band, DEADLINE on their Bandcamp page. Their bravado proves itself worthy on their new EP called Abigail’s Crypt.
Abigail’s Crypt is a project comprised of B sides and rarities.The EP, as the band’s vocalist Jessy Switchblade explained, is being released to shorten the gap between the band’s debut, “Black Wolf City” and sophomore album, “Cathedral Point” which has been delayed in release. The EP also serves as a means to introduce the band’s new lineup which sees the departure of Raven Chaos and Baz Steel and the inclusion of Damian Buys Dread. The project consists of five songs: two are acoustic versions of the band’s original material and three are covers of songs by artists that have inspired the multi-award winning band. Another objective the EP has is to show the versatility of the band in terms of genres with efforts to demonstrate their desire to not be boxed into a single genre.
The opening track is a strong cover of Swedish metal band Ghost’s 2016 single, “Square Hammer”. It sets the tone for the illustration of the diversity in the band’s influence. The Doom metal cover is driven by a powerful vocal display. A refreshing cover of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” follows. DEADLINE do not seek to do with this song what many bands have done before. There are no embellishments on their version, no attempt to make the song heavier or to change it in ways that make it more “unique”. Instead the band offers a simple yet cheeky homage to Billy Idol. An acoustic version of the band’s hit, “Break the Silence” gives a different view of a typically energized band. The stripped down version of the song brings to mind a vulnerability sometimes shown by Guns ‘n Roses at the peak of their career. This version still manages to keep the strength of the song albeit being stripped down.
The last cover on the EP is of legendary metal outfit, Dio. Covering a Dio song is always a huge risk but thankfully DEADLINE does classic, “Holy Diver” a great deal of justice. The song is the heaviest on the album and once again shows off the band’s vocalist. The drummer and guitarist come to the party on this song too. The band attempts to fit into very big shoes and manage to place their own stamp on a classic. The EP closes with a Cyber–Tops and synth belts mix of, “High-Tops and Bullet Belts”. This tribute to 80’s synth pop is the perfect way to close off what is a powerful and clear indication of inspiration and intent by DEADLINE.
One trick pony is not a phrase that can be used to describe DEADLINE. The EP helps to successfully convey all the things the band hoped to get across to old and new fans alike: They are not one dimensional in any way when it comes to making music. The many layers that make up DEADLINE are brilliantly put on display with this EP. It serves the band well, in being far more than a placeholder between album releases.
Rating: 8/10
Reviewed by: Refiloe Mathelela
Photography by: Baz Steel