UMUR "Supernatural Addiction" is the 4th full-length studio album by US metal act Deceased. The album was released through Relapse Records in February 2000. It´s the successor to the zombie themed concept album "Fearless Undead Machines" from 1997 and features the exact same four-piece lineup who recorded the predecessor.

Stylistically the material on "Supernatural Addiction" pretty much continue the raw heavy metal style of "Fearless Undead Machines (1997)". Deceased started out as an old school death/thrash metal act, but already on "Fearless Undead Machines (1997)" the most extreme elements of their sound had been shed (except the horror/gore based lyrics), and instead they played a raw type of heavy metal with thrash and speed metal influences. "Supernatural Addiction" is a natural successor to "Fearless Undead Machines (1997)" and further explores the raw heavy metal style of the predecessor. Drummer/lead vocalist King Fowley has a raw voice and a shouting delivery. He is not the most diverse vocalist, but his almost story-telling vocal style suits the music perfectly. It´s like listening to an old and wrinkled (and a little bit scary too) story telling grandpa by the fireplace late at night, telling an Edgar Allan Poe tale.

...and that´s how the songs work too. The instrumental work is organic and there are many strong riffs, great melodic solos, and driving powerful drumming, but it´s the horror/gore themed lyrics and the story telling vocal style which are the focus of the album. The material are generally very well written and structurally fairly intriguing too, as the band make sure to break out of the the vers/chorus formula and add other sections to keep the tracks interesting throughout.

Deceased have managed to release another high quality heavy metal release with "Supernatural Addiction", and while they are often associated with the early US extreme metal scene, this album has more in common with the output of artists like Mercyful Fate/King Diamond and (early) Iron Maiden, than it has with old school US death/thrash metal artists like Autopsy and Death. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

Time Signature Dark chilling heartbeat...

Genre: (melodic) thrash/speed metal

Originally released in 2000, Deceased's classic "Supernatural Addiction" was reissued in the fall of 2012 on Hell's Headbangers (in CD-format, that is; the LP is scheduled to hit the streets in late January). Deceased are typically thought of as a death metal band, but there are, frankly, not a lot of traces of death metal on this album.

Instead, the listener is treated to a blend of thrash metal and speed metal which draws extensively on NWoBHM and other types of traditional heavy metal. Thus, the album features both aggressive thrash passages and very melodic elements in the form of, for instance, melodic single and double guitar leads and certain chord progressions. The result is probably best described as a form of melodic thrash/speed metal, and, I must say, this shit really rocks. Deceased are really successful in balancing their influences from the likes of Iron Maiden and Slayer.

The construction is in no way polished, but not lo-fi either. I kind of like the slightly raw quality of the album, because is does remind me a bit of some of the better quality NWoBHM released from the 80s. There is no critiquing of the musicianship, and the harsh vocals, the remind me a bit of Peter Steele from his Carnivore days, suit the aggressive aspect of the music on this album very well, while creating an interesting contrast to the more melodic aspect.

Fans of melodic thrash metal should really take advantage of Hell's Headbangers' reissue of this album and invest in either the CD or the LP. "Supernatural Addition" is a brilliant and very original heavy metal release.