Deceit – ‘Nine’

It’s hard to categorize this debut album from this Italian quintet (one of a maddeningly large number of acts with the same name, as a quick Google search turns up similarly monickered outfits from as far afield as San Francisco, Singapore and Japan), as it falls between a number of stools.

Having started off as a tribute band a mere four years ago, playing covers by the likes of Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age and Alice In Chains, they really made their name last year with a moderately successful version of Massive Attack’s ‘Teardrop’.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLZJAy9Y_pM]

Certainly, their full-length debut bears plenty of references to their cover days and origins, especially on the likes of the inanely titled ‘Too Fathers’, but there are also plenty of pointers to the likes of Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine (‘Wolfman’ and and the single ‘First Father’) and even My Chemical Romance and 30 Seconds To Mars (‘Unreal’).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0W3CvsOBw4]

The standout tracks are the atmospheric ‘Around The World’, which also draws comparisons with the Manic Street Preachers, with its thumping rhythm, jangling riff and brooding vocal, the surpsringly enjoyable romp of ‘Bietto’ (the one track which most closely references their QOTSA influence) and ‘My Stupid Revenge’, with its bass-heavy opening riff and insanely catchy melody, which certainly would give the likes of BFMV a run for their money.

[7/10]

Track listing:

1. Wolfman
2. Out Of Project
3. First Father
4. Unreal
5. Around The World
6. Too Fighters
7. Bietto (Jimi Hendrix Never Dies)
8. The Fall
9. My Stupid Revenge
10. Last Song

‘Nine’ is out now on Scarlet Records.

If you want to know more, check out the band’s official website at http://www.deceitmusic.com/inwrock.html