Quite the back history to Denmark’s Detest, as it turns out. I’m a bit of a sucker for Danish metal, particularly bands from the 90’s, and it turns out that Detest formed way back in 91, and were actually making some waves in the scene, releasing an album in 94, before as the bio has it, “the word spread out, Detest were underground media darlings, lots of concerts were played and everything went as it should, until they got way too much of everything that was wrong, namely booze and drugs. The band members suddenly got very different ambitions and there were a lot of fights about how the music should sound, so in 1996 the party ended and Detest spilt up. “. Well, as it turns out, you can’t keep an old dog down, because original guitarist John Petersen recruited Danni Jelsgaard on drums and Simon Springborg on bass and vocals to complete a new line up.

“We Will Get What We Deserve” is the first full length album from the band, now free of drink and drugs, and having produced an EP back in 2019. Following a short atmospheric introduction, it’s straight into business with “The Process of Doom is On”. In terms of what you get, this is really some great old school death metal that’s got some melody to it, but has more in common with the likes of Malevolent Creation and Nocturnus than traditional Scandinavian death metal. There’s more crunch than a Walker’s crisp factory, and it’s about as tasty too. John appears to have an ear for a catchy riff. In fact, I was probably most reminded of Norway’s Blood Red Throne with this album. It’s got a raw, punky edge to it, but also manages to maintain the heaviness while also having some very accomplished musical sections. Of particular note are the great guitar solos – plenty of flourishes and add neatly to the overall atmosphere.

I have to praise the rhythm section too. This is damned chunky. The main riff to the title track of the album has a powerful slamming impact, and there’s some really neat interplay through the whole album between skins and the four stringer. It’s a superb example of what has traditionally made Danish metal stand out – the chug and the groove. Vocally, Simon Springborg has a harsh, gravelly bellow to lean back on, which combines with the razor-sharp riffing to produce some counterpoint to the low end. Production wise, this is really clear and punchy, with lots of top end accentuating the nifty drum and cymbal work.

Actually, this is a really accomplished album. You can hear the pedigree of the band shining through in the songwriting, and it really does lend one to wonder what may have happened to the band if they’d managed to survive through the 90s (a tall ask for many bands, as it goes). As it stands, this is a strong new entrant into the annals of Danish metal.

(8/10 Chris Davison)

https://www.facebook.com/DetestDK

https://emanzipation.bandcamp.com/album/we-will-get-what-we-deserve