siLLy puPPy Considered one of the early pioneers of crust punk and death metal, England’s DEVIATED INSTINCT formed in Norwich in 1984 and forged that early strain of noisy crust punk that infused heavier doses of thrash metal, death metal and heavy metal which now has retroactively earned the tagging of stenchcore. This band’s initial existence lasted from 1984 to 1991 but has reformed in 2007 and still active with only guitarist / vocalist Rob Middleton and bassist Steve Harvey as the only original members still rockin’ the house.

The band released a series of demos, splits and EPs before arriving at what’s considered its debut album ROCK ’N’ROLL CONFORMITY which at a running time of only about 29 minutes makes you wonder if it really an album after all but this is punk, baby so brevity is the name of the game. Despite the short running time the album features 12 tracks with each side of the vinyl sporting its own subtitle. Side A is known as the Windy Side whereas Side B is called Winston Side. The album was only once released on vinyl and remains one of those underground collectibles but can be found on CD as a part of the “Definitive Instinct” compilation released in 1990.

Following in the footsteps of early pioneers Amoebix and Discharge, DEVIATED INSTINCT delivered a more brutal and heavier form of crust punk which is now known as stenchcore. This is one of those truly underground filthy raw releases with a lo-fi production suitable for an early black metal release and all the irreverent grime and passion to match. This album delivers a thundering cacophonous roar of guitar din on full distortion mode while the bantering bass practically blurs into the mix. The riffing is somewhat rooted in thrash metal and although there is a crossover thrash effect going on, the overall presentation is much more rooted in the early crust punk sounds with the last track “Miniature Railways” even being a Discharge cover.

The song structures are very much derived from the anarcho-punk playbook however the delivery system is firing on full pistons with angsty riffing at death metal speed and a raging vocal style courtesy of Leggo that is very similar to some of the early thrash metal vocalists of the 1980s when the genre was less popular and more brutal in its approach. Some of the lightning fast guitar riffs are also right out of the early thrash metal world courtesy of speed addicted bands like Possessed or Sadus. The drumming however remains faithful to the world of punk rock and never demonstrates the same virtuosity as the guitar and bass which overall gives DEVIATED INSTINCT a very bizarre hybridizing sound that wasn’t so common in the 1980s quite yet as this ugly stepchild of crust punk was very much an underground sensation.

This is the kind of murky lo-fi metal that suits the underground so well. With no ambitions for crossover appeal, DEVIATED INSTINCT really delivered the goods with a no nonsense balls to the wall infusion of its metal / punk Frankenstein. This is an adrenaline ride all the way through with no breaks, no ballads and no time for anything cute and relaxing to emerge. This is an angry aggressive display of chaotic distortion and raw energetic angst delivered in top form. While those averse to lo-fi production of any kind will find this abysmal, it’s important to be reminded this this is indeed music for the abyss and in that regard it delivers quite well. I love the murky muddied tones and Leggo’s vocals are well above average in comparison to anything remotely considered crust punk of the day. A very strong effort from one of the UK’s most legendary underground noise acts of the 1980s.