Deadlock - Manifesto Review

Deadlock - Manifesto

Rating

RIYL

Killswitch Engage
Bleeding Through
Evanescence

Release Date

01/20/2009

Label

Lifeforce Records

Tracklist

1. The Moribund Choir vs. The Trumpets of Armageddon
2. Martyr to Science
3. Slaughter’s Palace
4. The Brave/Agony Applause
5. Deathrace
6. Fire at Will
7. Seal Slayer
8. Manifesto
9. Dying Breed
10. Altruism
11. Temple of Love

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Recent Ratings
Spartan E7	Mike Duchnowsky
Rick Gebhardt

To paraphrase Hunter S. Thompson’s character Raoul Duke in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Deadlock would be what all the hip scene kids would be listening to on a Saturday night if the Nazi’s had won the war. Lucky for us the Third Reich underachieved and this East Bavarian six-piece should be restricted to just overseas.

Fans of previous Deadlock endeavors will know what to expect with their new release Manifesto: beefy, generic metalcore mixed with female vocals, techno and yes, even rap. If it sounds like a recipe for disaster, it’s because it is. A certain level of panache would be required to pull off such an ambitious mix, and unfortunately Deadlock’s sound comes off as natural as you would expect a group of meathead, tattoo-laden, German 20-something’s that try to mix hip-hop, techno and metal. Should they be given credit for trying something different and fresh? Maybe. But just because something is different doesn’t always mean it is good.

Anyways, things kick off with “The Moribund Choir vs. The Trumpets of Armageddon”, a minute long intro of throbbing beats and an electronic-tinged voice that urges all to “come on, motherfuckers!” It sets the tone for the entire album and things only get more hopeless. “Martyr to Science” and “Slaughter’s Palace” are both bearable enough, though, and “The Brave/Agony Applause” is Deadlock’s lead single and probably the album’s most complete track. It’s easy to tell they spent a little more time on it.

“Deathrace” is next, though, and is a seven minute odyssey that starts out furiously before inexplicably segueing into a rapfest (built around the central line of “animals can’t speak but we can!”) about the cruelty of the meat industry and the benefits of veganism. Animal rights and the environment are a couple of the band’s biggest topics and they approach each with the same heavy-handedness they do their instrumentation. “Fire at Will” and “Seal Slayer” are all about respecting the oceans and conscientious hunting with the former having a saxophone solo and the latter a synth line straight out of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

The rest of the album is a mixed bag of boring instrumental and acoustic tracks with the only bright spot being “Dying Breed.” It features clean, power-metal vocals from ex-Scar Symmetry vocalist Christian Alvestam, whose contribution is one of the few bright spots on an otherwise dull affair. The album ends with a corny cover of The Sister of Mercy’s “Temple of Love”. Ugghh.

--Dan Strobel

Author

moat211

Last updated: 09/29/2009 09:04PM

Comments

Rick Gebhardt

01/27/2009

07:00AM

Age: 31

Location
Minnesota

I can definitely agree that this is Deadlock's weakest effort... by far, but there are still some positive moments. The songs where they aren't dinking around with synths and rap and other junk are pretty well done. The mix of male and female vocals is relatively good. The band aren't as untalented as you make them out to be. But, yeah, I can see how someone would think this disc sucks.

However, what I find as lazy or sloppy reviewing, is that you say this album is just more of the same crap. If you've listened to the band's prior albums, you'd know that Earth.Revolt was much, much different than Manifesto. You'd also see the slow transition that the band has made with each album to get to where they are today. Manifesto isn't more of the same, it's much different than how the band started and even more of a departure than Wolves was.

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moat211

01/27/2009

03:27PM

Location
raleigh

Rick Gebhardt

I can definitely agree that this is Deadlock's weakest effort... by far, but there are still some positive moments. The songs where they aren't dinking around with synths and rap and other junk are pretty well done. The mix of male and female vocals is relatively good. The band aren't as untalented as you make them out to be. But, yeah, I can see how someone would think this disc sucks.

However, what I find as lazy or sloppy reviewing, is that you say this album is just more of the same crap. If you've listened to the band's prior albums, you'd know that Earth.Revolt was much, much different than Manifesto. You'd also see the slow transition that the band has made with each album to get to where they are today. Manifesto isn't more of the same, it's much different than how the band started and even more of a departure than Wolves was.

Sorry, I guess I should've specified that before Manifesto they used to make crappy metalcore with female vocals and keyboards but now they make crappy metalcore with female vocals, keyboards and rap.

Rick Gebhardt

01/27/2009

05:55PM

Age: 31

Location
Minnesota

Dan Strobel

Rick Gebhardt
I can definitely agree that this is Deadlock's weakest effort... by far, but there are still some positive moments. The songs where they aren't dinking around with synths and rap and other junk are pretty well done. The mix of male and female vocals is relatively good. The band aren't as untalented as you make them out to be. But, yeah, I can see how someone would think this disc sucks.

However, what I find as lazy or sloppy reviewing, is that you say this album is just more of the same crap. If you've listened to the band's prior albums, you'd know that Earth.Revolt was much, much different than Manifesto. You'd also see the slow transition that the band has made with each album to get to where they are today. Manifesto isn't more of the same, it's much different than how the band started and even more of a departure than Wolves was.
Sorry, I guess I should've specified that before Manifesto they used to make crappy metalcore with female vocals and keyboards but now they make crappy metalcore with female vocals, keyboards and rap.

On Earth.Revolt they used female vocals on like 2 songs. Everything else was melodeath, not metalcore at all. Just admit you've never listened to their previous stuff.

Find me EVERYWHERE:

Spartan E7

01/27/2009

06:34PM

Age: 25

Location
Infinitely Inwards

I listened to it but I didn't think it was horrible. Lackluster drum and guitarwork, too much of the female vocals and songwriting were my main complaints. The guy's voice, though, is one of the best death growls in melodeath.

Oh and Dan, Earth.Revolt. is a symphonic, melodeath album; albeit catchy and simplistic, butcompletely melodeath. That was such a good concept album on alot of levels (obviously lacking in some areas) but it definately made my top 20 of 05'.Also, I did like that you mentioned Christian from SS, he is rediculously talented.

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Wolf I Am!

01/27/2009

08:09PM

man it must be hard to review 1 and a half star albums....

Rick Gebhardt

01/28/2009

07:40AM

Age: 31

Location
Minnesota

Spartan E7

I listened to it but I didn't think it was horrible. Lackluster drum and guitarwork, too much of the female vocals and songwriting were my main complaints. The guy's voice, though, is one of the best death growls in melodeath.

Oh and Dan, Earth.Revolt. is a symphonic, melodeath album; albeit catchy and simplistic, butcompletely melodeath. That was such a good concept album on alot of levels (obviously lacking in some areas) but it definately made my top 20 of 05'.Also, I did like that you mentioned Christian from SS, he is rediculously talented.

Yeah, Earth.Revolt was epic. It was on my top 10 for '05 as well. I'm sad they almost completely moved away from their epic melodeath sound. I don't know if I'd say Earth.Revolt was necessarily simplistic. Some of the longer compositions felt very well put together and thought out.

And in case anyone needs a refresher about the how I feel about Earth.Revolt, go here.

Find me EVERYWHERE:

Rich

01/28/2009

07:56AM

Age: 26

Location
Leeds, England

Spartan E7

I listened to it but I didn't think it was horrible. Lackluster drum and guitarwork, too much of the female vocals and songwriting were my main complaints. The guy's voice, though, is one of the best death growls in melodeath.
Oh and Dan, Earth.Revolt. is a symphonic, melodeath album; albeit catchy and simplistic, butcompletely melodeath. That was such a good concept album on alot of levels (obviously lacking in some areas) but it definately made my top 20 of 05'.Also, I did like that you mentioned Christian from SS, he is rediculously talented.

Too much female? They need more!

Have you seen that Christian will release two new albums this year? A new Miseration and a Solution .45 album, which by the album demo on their myspace is gonna be great. Plus there's a possible new EP for Scar Symmetry with the 2 new singers. Looking forward to hoiw they'll sound.
Wasn't really feeling this album. That rap bit is terrible.
And Deadlock deffo are not 'meatheads.' They're all pretty scrawny.

Mike Duchnowsky

01/28/2009

08:54AM

Age: 27

Location
West Haven, CT

I remember these guys,
What went wrong?
Man this is lousy.
I remember when I started hearing newish material and they started going in this awful direction.
Now it's a matter of time before they, 1.blow up and get huge. 2. break up because they're terrible.

The Cityscape Burns Brighter By The Hour.

Spartan E7

01/28/2009

07:53PM

Age: 25

Location
Infinitely Inwards

Rick Gebhardt

Spartan E7
I listened to it but I didn't think it was horrible. Lackluster drum and guitarwork, too much of the female vocals and songwriting were my main complaints. The guy's voice, though, is one of the best death growls in melodeath.

Oh and Dan, Earth.Revolt. is a symphonic, melodeath album; albeit catchy and simplistic, butcompletely melodeath. That was such a good concept album on alot of levels (obviously lacking in some areas) but it definately made my top 20 of 05'.Also, I did like that you mentioned Christian from SS, he is rediculously talented.
Yeah, Earth.Revolt was epic. It was on my top 10 for '05 as well. I'm sad they almost completely moved away from their epic melodeath sound. I don't know if I'd say Earth.Revolt was necessarily simplistic. Some of the longer compositions felt very well put together and thought out.

And in case anyone needs a refresher about the how I feel about Earth.Revolt, go here.

Spartan E7

01/28/2009

09:02PM

Age: 25

Location
Infinitely Inwards

damn the new internet explorer 8...closed in the middle of my post. Oh well, my statements were irrelevant anyway.

Spartan E7

01/28/2009

10:27PM

Age: 25

Location
Infinitely Inwards

Rich Taylor

Spartan E7
I listened to it but I didn't think it was horrible. Lackluster drum and guitarwork, too much of the female vocals and songwriting were my main complaints. The guy's voice, though, is one of the best death growls in melodeath.
Oh and Dan, Earth.Revolt. is a symphonic, melodeath album; albeit catchy and simplistic, butcompletely melodeath. That was such a good concept album on alot of levels (obviously lacking in some areas) but it definately made my top 20 of 05'.Also, I did like that you mentioned Christian from SS, he is rediculously talented.

Too much female? They need more!
Have you seen that Christian will release two new albums this year? A new Miseration and a Solution .45 album, which by the album demo on their myspace is gonna be great. Plus there's a possible new EP for Scar Symmetry with the 2 new singers. Looking forward to hoiw they'll sound.
Wasn't really feeling this album. That rap bit is terrible.
And Deadlock deffo are not 'meatheads.' They're all pretty scrawny.

No, the female vocals were not what I was listening to; as stated before, I was too busy in an attempt to salvage my enjoyment of this album after being tortured by the terrible drum and guitarwork. Her vocals are great in small doses for me (like on Earth.Revolt), I just hate how they used them as a backbone for this mediocrity.
Anyway...I am very excited to see what Miseration and SS do this year. The new Disarmonia Mundi is too be released soon as well, so that means that Melodeath should be pretty well represented in 2009. Besides the phenomenal Holographic Universe, MDM wasn't too amazing last year.

Rick Gebhardt

01/29/2009

05:41AM

Age: 31

Location
Minnesota

The new Disarmonia Mundi is probably the most anticipated release of this year for me. They filled the void Soilwork left when they went down the tubes.

Find me EVERYWHERE:

Spartan E7

01/29/2009

06:21PM

Age: 25

Location
Infinitely Inwards

Yeah, I agree. SS basically filled my Melodeath needs for a long time though.

jared

01/30/2009

08:34AM

Age: 30

Location
Minneapolis, MN

Wow, all this dicussion and Wolves never comes up once. This is where the band hit it's sweet spot. Earth.Revolt doesn't have the same kind of momentum that Wolves does. It's got the most balance between Sabine's vocals and the death metal screams. And there's only a couple places it busts into some trance beats.

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Rick Gebhardt

01/30/2009

08:39AM

Age: 31

Location
Minnesota

Jared Mehle

Wow, all this dicussion and Wolves never comes up once. This is where the band hit it's sweet spot. Earth.Revolt doesn't have the same kind of momentum that Wolves does. It's got the most balance between Sabine's vocals and the death metal screams. And there's only a couple places it busts into some trance beats.

Hmmm... I thought Wolves was ok, but I'll always see Earth.Revolt as their best effort. Wolves just didn't seem as epic in scope. There are some hot songs on it, for sure. I just wish Manifesto didn't suck for like half the album.

Find me EVERYWHERE:

Spartan E7

01/31/2009

09:57AM

Age: 25

Location
Infinitely Inwards

Wolves wasn't as epic as Earth.Revolt.

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