Deadly are a grindcore band from the riverside city of Posadas, Argentina. Formed in 2001, under the shadow of a fifty-foot-tall stainless steel statue of governor and military leader, Andrés Guaçurarí, Deadly initially started out as a crust punk band rather than a typical grindcore band. That same year the band released their first demo under the moniker Deadly Noise Crew, entitled Crust Village. It would be another twelve years before the band released their second demo, Seis Cortes Para Mirar Hacia Adentro, in 2013. Two years later the band released their first official EP with 2015's, Todos Los Colores Van Al Negro, and debuted their current, concise version of the band's name.
My first introduction to Deadly was their 2020 EP, El Abismo De La Desidia. The melancholic grindcore four-song concept EP, which reminded me of a mix between Nashgul and Rotten Sound, showed a definite progression in sound from their earlier demos. To that point, the band's 2023 EP, El Reflejo De La Peste—a collection of mostly live studio recordings from 2020 and 2021—evoked more of a punky, Ratos de Porão vibe.
2025's Luto is the latest EP in Deadly's diverse discography and certainly marks a high point for the band. Luto also marks the first instance of the band as an official quintet. In the earliest incarnations of the band Deadly/Deadly Noise Crew operated as a four-piece. Later, the band solidified a steadfast core of musicians in guitarist Adrian, drummer and vocalist Mateo, and lead vocalist and sole original member Tory. This lineup made up the bulk of the band's discography over the last decade. Luto saw the band adding bassist Manuela and second guitarist Sepu. I think their contribution to the EP can't be overlooked.
Deadly's songwriting has an emphasis on competent guitarwork and heavy riffing. The guitar, as well as the song composition, has always had a tangible grasp on the band's strong crust punk roots, which might have lent towards a tendency of riff repetitiveness. Luto streamlines its songs by essentially cutting them in half compared to past releases, as well as really utilizing the lead guitar. The leads are a grinding buzzsaw that revs right through the middle of the tracks and adds a much needed depth that was definitely not there in the beginning. You can still hear the fundamentals of the band's signature songwriting, yet the songs are condensed in a way that keeps things from stagnating. Likewise, Luto is a mere four songs in just over four minutes, but manages to include some heavy groove metal, intense blasting, and crusty grind epicness. It's a release that could take its place alongside current contemporaries like Belgium's Barren. Luto embodies both that Scandinavian grind style that has become so popular, as well as the South American love of punk and thrash.
While making my way through the band's back catalogue, I remember thinking that each subsequent release was a step towards something that might have been missing on prior releases. Whether it was something in the writing or something in the instrumentation, I feel like the band was missing a component that might have been necessary to help launch them out of the Bandcamp page and onto the global stage. I think releases like Luto and El Abismo De La Desidia are certainly wide steps towards that goal.
Deadly has whittled down the two decades of punk and metal they have amassed together from those early demos until those later EPs and focused it into a concise and palatable EP in Luto. Songs are shorter, faster, and singularly focused.
Luto, as a record, is mixed and mastered extremely well. It's clean, sharp, and well-balanced. The newly included second guitar and bass are well-represented and clearly audible. Deadly have found a path and lineup that I think supports the band's growth. The EP's polished grind sound, pillared upon a foundation of experience and musicianship, has led to the band's best output to date.
FFO: Barren, Rotten Sound, Fading Trail
Listen to the album: https://deadlygrindcore.bandcamp.com/album/luto
No comments:
Post a Comment