Seven years after their last album “Ode to Acts of Murder, Dystopia and Suicide”, Deinonychus released their new album at the end of last year on Ván Records. Good things take time-so “Fatalist” is another great work that combines all the typical Deinonychus trademarks and should not disappoint any fan of the band. It should be clear that this style-ultra heavy, often tough, slow compositions in the intersection between doom and black metal-won't win any popularity prizes. Consequently, despite nine albums to date and a history stretching back over thirty years, the band is still - at least in comparison to other bands from the black and doom metal genres - an insider's tip and deeply rooted in the underground. But as is so often the case, the most demanding and intense works are to be found there, their depth disqualifies them as offerings for the masses, this applies to metal as well as to popular music, literature or film - as always, exceptions prove the rule. On six overlong compositions with a total playing time of 45 minutes, Deinonychus draw the listener into a nightmarish maelstrom from which there is no escape - song titles such as “The human heart is a cemetary” as well as its lyrics further emphasize this dreariness and nihilistic attitude. The band around mastermind Marco Kehren creates an sinister atmosphere with the help of apocalyptic screams and ominous synthesizer sounds, especially in the slow doom parts, in addition the fast black metal parts like in “Fatalist”, the second track of the album of the same name or in "A Cross to bear with Sorrow" provide a(n) (un)pleasant contrast and a welcome dynamic. In their best moments, these fast parts unfold a hypnotic effect, especially through repetition, which is reinforced by the synthesizers used in a song-serving and never too obtrusive way. All in all, I can conclude that Deinonychus have once again created an outstanding work with this album, which will appeal in particular to all those who like a mixture of traditional 90s black metal and melancholic, dark doom metal. The special merit of the band is that they still sound original, special and “fresh” (for lack of a better attribute) and not like a copy of these time-honored sounds, as is often the case today with old (newly reformed) bands who want to revive their youth or those born too late who imitate the old heroes. Highly recommended!
