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By RYAN MAVITY
Despite their name, Deathkiller is not, in fact, a death metal band. Actually, these guys (and gal) might be the most overtly political band to come along in a while. With songs called “Take Me to Your Bleeder,” “Call in the Airstrike,” and “Fear and Loathing in D.C.,” New England Is Sinking could be the soundtrack to a Michael Moore film.
Anti-war is just one of the major themes on New England Is Sinking. The band also takes on issues of materialism, commercialization and the cult of celebrity. All of this is done to the band’s piledriving riffs and screaming vocals. Much like Rage Against the Machine, another politically-oriented band, Deathkiller can rock, which will appeal to casual listeners. The music is more akin to grunge, but the attitude is all punk. Many of the tracks are two- to three-minute blasts of energy. They’re abrasive and loud, but catchy enough that the moshers will have a field day with it.
Deathkiller is the sort of band custom made to have a devoted and fanatical cult following someday. This music is too challenging lyrically and too abrasive musically to be huge on the radio, but that’s not a bad thing. Deathkiller probably couldn’t give two shits about commercial success. Deathkiller is a band that strikes me as being very good live, where the energy of their performances comes across even more. For those that like their rock with a message and a viewpoint, Deathkiller delivers.
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