From the Vault Review: Deuteronomium – Street Corner Queen
Once in a while, you stumble across an album (and a band, for that matter) that are just too eccentric to ignore. Something like this happened to me when I was a teenager and discovered System of a Down, a band that was so bizarre and unique in their twist on the nu-metal and alternative metal sounds of the day that it ended up transcending them entirely. As an adult, something similar has happened to me once again with one of Finland’s finest metal exports, Deuteronomium.
To me, it takes a serious amount of guts to make your debut album release an album like Street Corner Queen. Originally a death/doom-styled act similar to the other early 90’s sounds of Sentenced, GROMS, and early Antestor, Deuteronomium’s first proper EP, Tribal Eagle, was the beginning of something else entirely with its death ’n roll anthems capped off by a hard detour into black metal territory.
Street Corner Queen takes this to the next level. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a metal album that experiments with as much reckless abandon as this one. In part, it’s why this album seems to have gained a kind of love/hate response from some, if what I’ve come across online is to be believed. It’s understandable, too; like Marmite, this is something that will no doubt be the catalyst for some strong opinions.
Street Corner Queen begins with its title track, a blend of In Flames style riffing with Entombed drive, showcasing Miika Partalla’s thuggish roar right off the bat. But right away, the album takes a hard detour into all kinds of territory. “Druglord” (probably my favourite track on this one) grills the listener’s ears with violent, punk-like fury; “Spell of Hell” switches gears entirely and descends into classic and slightly melancholic black metal that is executed perfectly. “The Fall” continues the black metal vocal style, but near the end of the song, shifts into Metallica/Eternal Decision-styled thrash.
That’s when things get stranger – and to be frank, this is where I struggle with the album the most. The trio of songs in the middle of this album – “Empty Shell,” “Human Nature,” and “Bonsai People” – are so out of place sounding on an album by a death metal band that I feel like they would utterly fail if done by a band lacking the talent and vision that Deuteronomium so obviously has. “Empty Shell” sounds like 90’s alt-rock at first, but mixes it with a similar sound one would later hear coming from a band like Woods of Ypres. “Human Nature” continues the death ’n roll vibes, but takes a major detour into what sounds like a late-night hard rock soundscape, before segueing into an ill-advised bit of what sounds like a studio outtake of rapping over a guitar line. I’m not sure if this was done with tongue-in-cheek intent, but it’s bizarre (reminds me of Crimson Thorn’s unserious foray into rap and death metal with their hidden track “Something Else”). “Bonsai People” is like a lost nu-metal track from the late ’90’s, and it stands out like a sore thumb on an album even like this.
After the experimental 3-song suite, it’s back to business with the fantastic “Black Raven,” a bluster of driving Entombed-style death ’n roll that hits every right note. “C.C.R.” follows, the one instance where the band doesn’t switch things up entirely. “III” substitutes some vicious black metal shrieks over the death ’n roll sound, but ends up spinning its tires a little by the end. “Northern Praise” tops it all off with a gothic-styled metal worship song that sounds like they hired Liv Kristine (Theatre of Tragedy, Leaves’ Eyes) or Anita Auglend (The Sins of Thy Beloved) to do some session singing (which was admirably handled by Eeva Vehniäínen).
Some bands thrive on consistency – Obituary and Cannibal Corpse, for example. Not Deuteronomium. Like Mexico’s Lament and Norway’s Extol, Deuteronomium aren’t afraid to push the envelope. For me, that’s why the band and this album in particular have endeared themselves to me so much. Street Corner Queen is a brazen record for a debut one. It flirts with a bunch of different styles while keeping its death ’n roll heart intact throughout, ending up feeling like the sonic equivalent of a buffet table. And like a buffet, there’s something for everyone on here. Despite its obvious missteps, there’s an undeniable charm about this record’s refusal to be pigeonholed. Follow-up records would opt for a more consistent sound, whether it be the mid-90’s Carcass sounds heard on Here to Stay, the more traditional melodeath sounds of From the Midst of the Battle, or the return to a death/doom style on The Amen, but in my view, the wild eclecticism of Street Corner Queen makes for the most engaging listen of all.
For Fans Of: Depends on the track! But fans of bands as diverse as Entombed, Woods of Ypres, Pantokrator, Frosthardr, Antestor, Immortal Souls, In Flames and mid-90’s Carcass will all find something to enjoy here.
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