Revocation’s latest LP Deathless is a combination of death metal with the technical proficiency and speed of thrash, and there’s even a hint of jazz in the proceedings, which should come as no surprise to followers of the group as vocalist/guitarist David Davidson studied at the Berklee College of Music. But, more to the point, Deathless is one of those albums where your eyes will be continuously darting across your surrounding quickly, keeping time with the inhuman beats. Essentially, Deathless should cement Revocation as one of the top metal bands in the world, if they haven’t already reached such lofty heights on previous releases, and the group’s ability to play really loud and really fast, though pausing every now and then to let listeners catch their collective breaths, makes them brilliant practitioners. Just about everything about Deathless is spot on, especially the melodic underpinning of the group’s massive sound. This is an outfit that definitely knows what it’s doing.
Deathless travels a dark path from point A to point Z, and its structure and unity is one of unsurpassed construction. While you may have a favourite song from this release, all of the songs purposely have a continual flow to them, providing a strong foundation for the sequencing of the music. But the standout is the penultimate track “Apex”. It’s a five-minute instrumental that begins with a bracing guitar riff, before the song shifts into almost Joe Satriani territory. The song then nimbly goes into different movements with different melodies and riffs, giving the song the feel of a miniature epic, almost progressive rock if you will. It’s a mighty feat of songwriting, and shows the band stretching out from its death-like themes by being wordless. If this is a course for the direction of the group from here on in, let me sign up for the next cruise. “Apex” shows a real mastery of instrumentation, and its various twists and turns will keep your ears glued to your speakers. It’s pure showmanship.
However, highlighting merely one track would be doing a major disservice to the rest of the record, since there is nary one weak batch in the entire bunch. For instance, final song “Witch Trials”, at least initially, has riffage that reminds me of ‘80s glam metal, just played at industrial metal speeds. This track just shows evidence that the outfit is able to take its influences and put their own spin and mark on them, which elevates Revocation well above many of its peers.
Revocation has a soft spot for “Madness Opus”, which they claim has become a fan favourite and it is one of the heaviest things they’ve written. Based on the HP Lovecraft story “The Music of Erich Zann”, it too has a shifting structure and while it’s not really a trudge – playing music really slow, in my estimation, equates with heaviness – it’s still a pure delight, as Davidson works the fretboard of his guitar with passion and precision. And after about three minutes of riff upon riff, all the instruments drop out and it’s just a solitary guitar playing a melody that is reminiscent in tone, but not structure, of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters”. “Deathless”, meanwhile, offers a kind of swing that is, once again, evocative of ‘80s glam.
“The Fix”, the shortest song on the album at a touch more than three minutes, shows the group shifting between various time signatures and succeeding admirably. “United in Helotry” goes from bracing riffs to a quiet, meditative section that is quite lovely. From there, you can cherry pick from the awesomeness of the head banging anthems. Much credit should be really given to Phil Dubois-Coyne, the drummer, as he is clearly proficient on his instrument and is able to keep a breakneck pace while working around his instruments. Listening to him is a little like attending a drum clinic. When you cross the guitar interplay with the rhythm section, Revocation is more than a band to take note of. Given that this is metal, you have to wonder if they’ve sold their souls to play so gosh darned well.
Deathless often teeters on the brink of collapse, the centre not being able to quite hold. Still, this album is quite powerful and a testament to skill and precision, as, even in writing what I just did, you do get the sense that everyone is pushing themselves to be the best at their instruments that they can be. That is not a contradiction. It’s just that you can hear the struggle of the blood and sweat that went into the making of this record. For that, Deathless is a remarkable album from beginning to end. It continues a string of excellent LPs for the band, and conveys a real sense of emotion – you can hear the pain and scorched earth of Davidson’s vocals, as he growls over the thudding rhythm of the music.
Dexterous and nimble, Deathless is the sign of a band living on and reaching beyond their natural comfort zone without quite exceeding their grasp. Should things continue in this vein, Revocation is going to be a band that nobody will be able to keep up with. But, beyond all that, the music is deliriously great with enough right hooks to knock you senseless.