Deez Nuts - Binge & Purgatory (Album Review)
Deez Nuts - Binge & Purgatory
Released: 7th April 2017
Lineup
JJ Peters – Vocals
Matthew 'Realbad' Rogers – Guitar
Sean Kennedy – Bass
Alex Salinger – Drums
Online
Facebook: Deez Nuts
Twitter: @DeezNutsHC
Instagram: @DeezNutsDTD
Everyone knows the origin story about Deez Nuts by now, if not, let's play catch up. What started out as a joke band, making music to pass the time, evolved into a recognisable force to be reckoned with across the world. The JJ Peters [formerly of I Killed The Prom Queen] fronted band would become a hardcore party anthem act with themes of sticking by your friends & family, working hard for your money and Drinking Till Death or DTD. Although the actual meaning behind the DTD abbreviation is kept to a close group of people/musicians/friends, fans have taken it upon themselves to self-appoint themselves as members by adding the letters to the end of their social media accounts.
Deez Nuts mark their return to our ears with album number five Binge & Purgatory which starts with a heavy bass strum, guitar slides and a drum beat increasing in speed and level as the seconds count on, 'Binge' is the intro track which leads us into the album and at only 51 seconds in length, it's enough to tease your ear holes and bring you in ready for a viciously rough JJ Peters vocal slamming you in the face as soon as the song changes to 'Purgatory' which is a heavy assault on the senses, complete with heavy riffs group vox and plenty of mosh potential. The same can be said for the start of "Antidote' which opens immediately with a breakdown that gradually picks up the pace, evolving into a circle pit anthem before returning to yet another breakdown again. The shared vocals towards the end between 'Realbad' and JJ show off two different vocal styles for the band, one with semi-clear yelling and the other aggressive unclean screaming bring forth two different, but welcomed elements to a highly potential mic-grabbing frenzy track for fans during their upcoming live shows. If you've always wanted to snatch the mic during a Deez Nuts show, learn the lyrics to this one and get up there!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JC2Z7upuGQ&w=853&h=480]
You're barely allowed to catch your breath before 'Commas & Zeros' begins and the focus is on the rising tempo as Alex Salinger plays his drums into a group vox intro. Filled with riffage, breakdowns and JJ's signature rap/rock singing yelling, this party anthem will join the likes of previous songs such as 'I Hustle Everyday', 'Stay True' and 'Band of Brothers' in the band's ever growing catalogue. 'Break Out' and "Discord' roll into each other like the guys took a quick breather (or cigarette break) and immediately started jamming again however the better of the two (Discord) puts 'Realbad' in the spotlight with his ferocious guitar riffs showcasing his expertise and the potential he has as a heavy as fuck rock musician. I don't normally like to pick favourites in bands however if it came to a life or death situation (stay with me) and you had to pick the one who was far ahead of everyone else in the band musically, it's him!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpPWvhn2RfQ&w=853&h=480]
'Lessons Learned' entails vocal sharing and yet again offers a very 'yin/yang' approach to getting the message across via the song. You know the times you get hard done by and you get back on your feet and know never to make the same mistakes again? This is the theme song for walking away, no longer a fool as highlighted in the song's closing words. 'Carried By Six' may be a short, yet heavy total punk rock track but what it lacks in length, it makes up for in punchy, in your face energy that keeps the momentum flowing into the album's second half with 'Cakewalk', 'For What It's Worth' and 'Hedonistic Wasteland' rolling through each other like the 'Hulk' smashing through office cubicles one after another. Unfortunately, while some may find that exciting enough to keep them pumped up, the fact the songs have started to sound like each other proves the album peaked about halfway though and the progression stopped at that point. 'Remedy' and it's fast pace, combined with group vox and slow jam midway through changes the tone momentarily but not enough to save the album's decline. Final track 'Do Not As I Do' offers listeners a final circle pit inducing intro that slows it right down at the halfway point for a breakdown of sorts that I feel was too long and could have had the same (if not better impact) if it were shortened by a few bars. JJ's closing lyrics "Do not what I say, do not as I do, why drink my father's blood, but this life may be the death of you" are memorable and hard hitting, but get lost somewhere between the loud riffs and drumming. It could be my headphones, but then again it could just be the song and the way it was produced. The guitar fades out the album and the experience and leaves me to dwell and think about what has just been played to me.
Deez Nuts as a whole, have survived this long doing the same kind of music and it seems to work for their long time dedicated fans, but as a flowing fan who comes and goes expecting to hear more progression as the years go by, I'm hearing a a lot of the same. While that can be good in some cases, in this instance, for me, it seems like a carbon copy of their previous work with nothing new to add to the table. While I wanted to enjoy this one more, it sadly brought me in, only to lose my attention in a short period of time.
Deez Nuts - Binge & Purgatory tracklisting
1. Binge
2. Purgatory
3. Antidote
4. Commas & Zeros
5. Break Out
6. Discord
7. Lessons Learned
8. Carried By Six
9. Cakewalk
10. For What It's Worth
11. Hedonistic Wasteland
12. Remedy
13. Do Not As I Do
Rating 5.5/10
Binge & Purgatory is Out Now
Browny (@brownypaul)
