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.

Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier World Tour
April 14, 2011
Coliseo De Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
w/ Aura Azul


Local heavy metal band Aura Azul opened for the night. The venue was still about at only a fifth of its capacity when they hit the stage, but even then it was still probably the largest crowd that the band has ever played in front of. They possessed lots of energy and they captivated the crowd, most of which probably didn't even know that there was a vibrant local scene. Lead vocalist Edgar impressed many with his voice and commanded everyone's attention. The band's blatant Maiden inspiration shined through, from Hommy's guitar solos to Emma's galloping bass playing. They silenced any critics they had (who probably had never even heard a single note of their music) and there's no doubt that the young band left making many new fans.

After a half hour, Aura Azul closed their set and about 20 minutes later, the lights went dark....

Before I continue, let's rewind a bit, to 3 years ago. It was March 12, 2008 and Iron Maiden returned to the island after 16 years on their Somewhere Back In Time world tour. It was their second nostalgia tour, focusing largely on the Powerslave to Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son albums, with select songs from earlier albums and one sole post-90's song (Fear Of The Dark).  So basically the setlist was all classics and fan approval was across the board. This time around they are on tour supporting their fifteenth studio album, The Final Frontier. Many bands who tour in support of new studio albums are perfectly content in just playing two or three songs from the album and then pack the rest of the set with classics. Iron Maiden is no such band. They always play a minimum of 5 songs from each album they are supporting (and in the case of their previous album, 2006's A Matter Of Life And Death, they played the whole fucking thing). Clearly they believe in their own material and stand behind it.