DEADLANDS

"Deadlands" is the 3rd full-length studio album by Norwegian metal act Madder Mortem. The album was released through Century Media Records in October 2002. It´s the successor to "All Flesh Is Grass" from 2001 and features the same quintet lineup who recorded the predecessor.

Stylistically the material on "Deadlands" is hard to put a label on. It´s female led metal, but it´s not symphonic metal or goth metal, but rather a heavy and dark type of metal with Agnete M. Kirkevaag´s distinct sounding and powerful vocals in front. She is sometimes backed by very low in the mix semi-growling vocals and often by harmony vocals too. The tracks are predominantly riff heavy, but there are more melodic and less distorted and loud tracks on the album too. Madder Mortem are often labelled progressive metal, but other than a few adventurous ideas here and there, I wouldn´t call the music on "Deadlands" particularly progressive in nature ("Distance Will Save Us" is probably the closest Madder Mortem come to playing progressive metal). This is just gloomy and really heavy music, and maybe groove heavy doom metal is a better description.

"Deadlands" is not only well performed it´s also well produced, featuring a sound production which is both powerful and detailed, and which suits the material well. Upon conclusion "Deadlands" is another solid release by Madder Mortem, which shows their relatively unique sound. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)