If the sleeve and the title don't make it clear, then the first 30 seconds of opener “I Have Seen Him Slay” will spell it out, Denmark’s Deus Otiosus plays brutal death metal.
Drawing influences from groups such as Morbid Angel, Immolation and Incantation, the Danes proudly wave the flag of early to mid-90’s death metal and for the most part it works fairly well. Fans of old-school death metal will surely appreciate the recognisable traits of the style, break-neck drumming, vicious, furious riffs, chilling, devilish solos and guttural growls. “Murderer” is not all about early death metal homage though as songs like “Wall of Violence” introduce some death metal grooves and movie samples that set them close to Dying Fetus standards, while “Ash World” reveals some thrash metal leanings that reminded me of Sepultura circa “Beneath the Remains”.
Ultimately, “Murderer” is not always the most engaging experience, as it lacks some truly riveting moments and captivating dynamics that most listeners require to give it repeated listens, still it’s a record that death-metal die hard fans would want to give it a spin or two. (6/10)
Byrant Thomas
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