DeathbedIt was extremely difficult to find any information on this Finnish hardcore punk band. Lack of information for any music journalist is a double-edged sword. Obviously it makes my job tough when I can't give you much of a background on the band. The benefits, however, are that preconceived notions or ignorant judgments made solely on anything other than the music itself, can not pollute my thoughts. So what do we know about Deathbed?
As I mentioned before, they play a ferocious style of hardcore punk with their members culminating from Finnish hardcore scene vets such as Endstand, Lighthouse Project and Manifesto Jukebox. That is honestly about the extent of information that I found on this band. It's a shame though, that the American hardcore scene ignores international bands for the most part. I guess when every small town in the U.S. has at least 5 hardcore bands on top of the dozens in each major city, it becomes too much of a chore to seek out international bands. On top of that, hardcore is an interactive scene which gravitates toward the live shows. And the sad truth is that it's far too difficult and costly for little known foreign bands to tour the States.
To counterpoint though; the fickle U.S. hardcore audience is far too lazy and pretentious to use that excuse. Unfortunately, at least here in New Jersey, the kids rather sit at their computers and whine about 'the scene' rather than go to a show. Therefore, there's no excuse why anyone reading this review shouldn't seek out this band. If you're into modern hardcore punk bands like Dead Hearts, Modern Life Is War, Ruiner and The Banner...then you will really love this album. The lyrics on this record really stand out. They read like short poems enshrouded in the apocalyptic doom of today's troubled society. The songs all tell tales of addiction, broken lives, hopelessness and unnecessary conflicts. I know it's not original or different for a hardcore album to be angry and spiteful, but these lyrics are keen observations on society's shortcomings that can not be reiterated enough.
The roots of this band's sound seems to be embedded in late '90s hardcore. Bands such as The Hope Conspiracy, American Nightmare and Tragedy all come to mind while listening to this CD. The chugging rhythm section and slicing guitars backdrop the strained and frantic vocals nicely. Judging by the way the American hardcore scene went apeshit over those late '90s bands and taking into consideration the relative success of current bands like Modern Life Is War and Dead Hearts, you would think Deathbed would go over extremely well here in the U.S.
This CD was released by Brown Records with the LP available on Blacktop Records. The artwork is extraordinaire to say the least. The cover features Native American looking artwork of goat skulls on a metallic, army green background. The art reminds me of corrosive engravings. The words 'Deathbed' and 'Veritas' appear superimposed over the image in white script. This theme is constant throughout the CD's layout. There honestly is not a single weak point on this release from the music right down to the artwork.
Rating: 5/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: 'Producing Slaves', 'Paper God' & 'When Hope Leaves A Body'
Synopsis: Another great European band that America needs to know about. This album is certainly in contention for my album of the year in 2007.