I first came to hear of Weapon sometime in 2009 through the association of a member of two supremely masterful Canadian bands, Axis of Advance and Revenge. Vermin, as he is known, played bass for Weapon. As I learned later, it was only on an EP that I never heard. But this was all I needed to develop an interest. Over time I forgot why I had any interest in the band. Months later, when I found Drakonian Paradigm in the store I remembered being fascinated by the band, but couldn't recall why. I looked them up on my phone and found nothing informative but their logo. A primitive assortment of dangerous tools crudely built by ancient men with the need to kill spelled out WEAPON and lit torches in my chest. The logo was enough to sell me. 

The crudeness of these hateful weapons-as-letters was at odds with the sounds that first came from the speakers, an almost beautiful acoustic passageway that hinted at magic and mysticism. But no, this was a passageway into far fiercer territory. That fierce territory, once we arrived, was clearly the stuff of raw savagery. If riffs could cause a holocaust, these would do it. My, the fury with which they strike at the mind! Oh dear, the crazed razors they cut like! Melodies that simultaneously wrapped all ears in metaphysical straight jackets and transported one to freer lands where daggers grew on trees were weaving their way through the guts of man. Though familiar in many ways, I hadn't heard anything quite like it.

Shrieks From The Hearse Records

Sometimes, good things come to those who wait. This is a philosophy one must have if you are a Deceased fanatic. Their last album, As The Weird Travel On, was delivered six years ago and was perhaps the most underrated album of 2005. Several things have changed in that time, most notably the retirement of guitarist Mark Adams from music altogether. The band finally found the time this year to regroup and put to tape their next death metal monstrosity.

This is death metal done right. Deceased have their own niche within the genre, one that doesn't really have classification. They may be heavier than that fat girl you once took home, but they aren't brutal death metal. They have enough melody to make Dave Murray and Adrian Smith smile, yet they certainly do not belong in the melodic death metal genre. They possess intricacies and nuances, but don't string together riff after riff after riff mindlessly like many in the technical death metal genre. No, Deceased is above all that nonsense. They are just Deceased, death metal as it should be, presented as is and with no apologies.

Surreal Overdose is probably their most manic album since Luck Of The Corpse. The tunes are fast and in your face, with the aggression amped up from their last two albums. As soon as Skin Crawling Progress begins, you are assaulted with a barrage of riffs and then King Fowley's menacing vocals. He wastes no time in narrating his chilling tales of horror and doom. It's amazing that he never gets short of breath as he goes through his horrid tomes. King is also back behind the drum kit, sitting it out the last time due to complications with a blood clot that almost ended the maniac. It doesn't sound like he's lost a step either. He's all over the kid like a madman, sounding much more natural and fluent than a lot of the protools assisted hitters out there.