VILE16
UK, LP
1990
 
Media: VG+
Sleeve: VG+
 
All pre-owned vinyl is professionally cleaned with a Project VC-E record cleaner before shipping
 
 
 
Deviated Instinct are probably better known in the punk scene than in the metal scene. They built their reputation by expanding Amebix’s sound and dosing it with massive Celtic Frost riffs. They made some seminal crust releases ("Welcome to the Orgy"), and some good speedy punk/hardcore music too ("Rock n' Roll Conformity"). Still, nothing from their past has much relevance when appraising “Guttural Breath”, the band’s under-appreciated masterpiece from 1990.

This album sounds nothing like "Rock n' Roll Conformity" and has little in common with "Welcome to the Orgy" either. The only surviving member from those records is Rob Middleton, so it may be easier to think of this as a different band. I will refer to “Guttural Breath" as a death metal album from here on, in lieu of a better description. It feels more like death metal than anything else. The riffs are technical and the song-structures are meticulous. The pace is similar to other contemporary Peaceville bands like Autopsy and (early) Paradise Lost. The vocals are tortured (somewhere between Mille Petrozza and Jeff Becerra). Also, it wasn’t uncommon for UK bands with punk roots to morph into death metal bands (e.g., Bolt Thrower, Napalm Death).

No-one mentions this album alongside the likes of "Realms of Chaos" and "Harmony Corruption". Perhaps that is a good thing. Contextual comparisons are inadequate for describing the actual music. A better starting point might be Kreator's "Terrible Certainty". Both records are tight, vicious, and have a bone-dry, brittle guitar tone with minimal fuzz. Imagine what that album might sound like at half-speed, with all the solos removed and with all the thrashing riffs replaced by contorted, American-style death metal ones. Another possible musical comparison is Darkthrone's aborted second album ("Goatlord"). Both records juxtapose slow, tortuous, technical song-structures with a raw, spiteful edge. Neither of these comparisons get particularly close to the essence of “Guttural Breath”, but they are close enough.

The real magic on this album is the sense of 'abstract fluidity'. Every riff is angular and awkward, but segues into the next one, and the flow continues throughout. Pick any moment from any track, say, the middle of "Delirium Carnival". Play it from that point, or any other. It will sound great in any circumstance because the fundamental structure is so solid. This record doesn't rely on front-loading, juggernaut momentum or individual songs. It never blitzes the listener with speed, blasting or excessive distortion. This is a clear, clinical record with plenty of memorable moments. This isn't rocket science, it is just an example of clever song-writing, good riffing and smooth transitions.

If anything, it is the lack of speed, blasting and genre tropes that allows Middleton's anger to shine through. Death metal rarely achieves this kind of nihilistic, intelligible rage (perhaps the clearest sign of the band's crust/hardcore roots). Above all, this is an album that improves with every listen. This is some of the most underrated death metal I’ve ever heard, ranking alongside the similar angular brilliance of Phantasm, Dr. Shrinker and Media in Morte. Unlike those bands, Deviated Instinct captured their pinnacle on an album rather than on a demo. That makes "Guttural Breath" special, and there are no excuses for missing it - Metal Archives
 
Tax Included
Shipping information can be found here.