Released in late 2007, the self-titled Deadsea marks the second full-length release by grab-bag quasi-experimental metal band Deadsea. The album plays like a tribute to all things metal, with styles and moods intermingling like a denim jacket adorned with overlapping patches.

Deadsea definitely wears its colors on its sleeve, too. The sound, as well as the cartoonish imagery decorating the cover, reflects a broad range of style. Melodic black metal passages emerge from reworked thrash. NWOBHM wails accompany doom-inspired sludge-fests and mid-timbre growls. Upon first listen to this disc, you’ll hear clear ties to everything from Black Sabbath to Bolt Thrower to Venom, but Deadsea never quite manages to distinguish itself from its multitude of influences.

Mid-paced staccato chugging dominates, locking step with the precise (if unimaginative) drumming of newcomer Jeremy Spears. The sound and spirit resemble a competent stoner/thrash collaboration that somehow manages to have neither considerable snarl nor groove. The relentless plod of the guitars never leaves you bored but rarely, if ever, leaves you begging for more. The run-of-the-mill riffing and indifferent vocals throughout are eventually transcended by the truly satisfying instrumentals “Frozen Rivers” and “The Morning Frost” which close out the album, but even those lack the vital spark that makes a well-written piece of music feel alive.

Fantasy themes reign, with “Northwitch” and “Vamypre’s Kiss” embracing the tradition of lackluster metal songs about evil-doers and supernatural beings. The whole album displays an almost charming consistency, with the campy dedication to genre stereotypes that only the truly adoring or the completely clueless can maintain.

While the Ohio threesome has a bit of something for everyone, the songs rarely maintain any one style for long enough to ensnare die-hard fans of any particular genre. Many of the riffs or sections drag on, or worse, repeat verbatim. Then, just when the pieces start to fall into place, the style will shift questionably from up-tempo, toe-tapping metal to dirge-y, brooding doom. Many bands attempt to incorporate such diverse elements, but most fall flat. To give the devil his due, Deadsea accomplish this with some success, and hop genre lines and boundaries much less jarringly that most. Unfortunately for this Chrome Leaf release however, the ability to weave fluently between moods does not necessarily confer the knack for writing brilliant songs. Opeth this just ain’t.

www.deadsearising.com