UMUR
"Sculpture of the Dead" is an EP release by Swedish death metal act Deranged. The EP was released through Repulse Records in February 1996. It bridges the gap between the band´s debut- and sophomore full-length studio albums "Rated-X" from September 1995 and "High on Blood" from May 1998. There´s been one lineup change since "Rated-X" as bassist Dan Bengtsson has been added to the lineup, making Deranged a quartet on "Sculpture of the Dead" (guitarist Johan Axelsson handled the bass on "Rated-X").
Stylistically the material on "Sculpture of the Dead" continues in a similar brutal death metal style as the material on "Rated-X". Deranged are far removed from the contemporary old school Swedish death metal style, and are predominantly influenced by the brutal part of the contemporary US death metal scene (Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Deicide). Featuring songtitles like "Infernal Vaginal Bleeding" and "The Bowels of My Dismay" the lyrical universe is of course in the gory end of the spectrum. The material is brutal, sharp, and effective, although Deranged don´t add much to the genre in terms of originality. It works well though and as "Sculpture of the Dead" also features a decent sounding production job, it´s overall a good quality release and a 3.5 star (70%) rating isn´t all wrong.
