A lullaby of this world: Satanic Planet’s “Dead Deities”

Satanic Planet return on 30 October with “Dead Deities”, their second album and their first for Relapse Records. It arrives five years after their self-titled debut of 2021. While the debut leaned on many guests, this one credits only Emma Tiemann as additional musician. Perhaps a stylistic choice?

From the opening track, this is no album for the commute, or at least not all of it. The sound is experimental, with white noise running underneath every song like a carillon that never stops. The rhythms are also intricate, from Dave Lombardo’s drums to the synth, whose pattern changes from song to song.

“Antichrist” is a striking dive into industrial horror. It sounds like something from a splatter movie, just before its goriest scene. The screamed line “we are the antichrist” echoes in your ears like a spell. Then the synth brings it to life even more.

That diabolical, distorted voice comes back again and again across the record. It finds its epicentre in “Dr. Green”, which begins like a kids’ lullaby. But it soon turns into a charismatic track, moving from a more EDM sound to something closer to horror. Some unfamiliar drums join in along the way.

The synth tempo and a violin effect are a fascinating addition to an album that is already compelling. With “Ouroboros”, though, the album twists once more into another, more hypnotic sound. Bells and multiple layered voices also join in, overlapping in a church-piano-style chorus.

Still, this is a serious exploration of dark sonorities. It is built to bring its themes against autocracy and Christian nationalism to life. But for all the splatter-film sound, the album isn’t really about gore. The cover should have warned me: a many-armed figure, lamb’s head in a golden halo above, torn open like a church altar gone wrong. I’m glad I ignored it and let the album take me away.

I’m left with a curious feeling overall. In my opinion the album is a rich view of the world. The details of the effects in each song stand out at just the right time. For me, “Satan’s Spawn” is one of the top tracks, alongside the singles. What’s more, the rhythm with the guitar riff fading in was a fantastic touch. I don’t think you can get darker than this. The production is on point, with the drums and the synth sitting on the same level. Once the voice comes in, each song seems to sink deeper. I can only imagine how fun it must be to produce and polish an album of this calibre.

So if you are ready to delve into unexplored sound, this is the place.

Tracklist

1. Damnatio Memoriae
2. Antichrist
3. Church Burning
4. Dead Deities
5. Sam Alito’s Mom
6. Headless Man
7. Dr. Green
8. Cannibal Syndrome
9. Ouroboros
10. Ammosexual
11. Satan’s Spawn