Artist: Deranged
Country: Sweden
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Formats: LP
Year: 2025
This isn’t exactly the first time I’ve shared my surprise and delight at the current Brutal Death Metal re-release frenzy from Hells Headbangers Records. Although I don’t follow the genre very closely anymore, there was a period, about 20-25 years ago, when I really enjoyed it, and it is particularly from that period that Hells Headbangers is bringing out one gem after another for a beautiful vinyl release. Deranged’s ‘Cut Carve Rip Serve’, originally released in 2011, actually falls outside that category, but it is a band that I have continued to follow, albeit from a bit of a distance. It may be a ‘later’ album, but musically it fits perfectly and seamlessly into Hells Headbangers’ recent series of re-releases in the Brutal Death Metal genre.
I always felt that Deranged is a band that most people like best because of their early works, but that these are not necessarily really their best efforts. The classic phenomenon whereby you like certain early/old albums by a band best/most enjoyable, even though objectively speaking they are not the band’s true best work. Usually prompted by the fact that you became familiar with that band through specific albums, which you then often listened to the most as well. That certainly applies to me with regard to Deranged. I think ‘Rated X’ (1995) and ‘High On Blood’ (1998) are definitely their coolest albums, but I also rate the handful of EPs they recorded at the beginning of their career very highly. Yet, you can easily make a case that these aforementioned first two albums are outshined by some of their later material.
And arguably, ‘Cut Carve Rip Serve’ is among the best Deranged has ever offered. Obviously, over time these guys advanced as individual musicians and them having over 15 years of experience playing Extreme Metal definitely shows off as well. But above all, this album strikes an almost perfect balance between technical skill and mastery of song crafting. On top of that, the production on this album, as well as a few other that were released much later than their “classics”, is spot on. ‘Rated X’ and ‘High On Blood’, and to a certain extent the following two records as well, sounded a bit weak. Especially in hindsight. Lots of (especially American) Brutal Death Metal bands at the time had this same problem with remarkably “light” productions, so hearing Deranged with updated skills and sound is something particularly exciting.
Even with a good couple of line-up changes with almost every release, Deranged always kept a somewhat distinct sound from their peers. With lots of technical wizardry, punchy grooves, memorable leads and an overall sound that is quite different from what we’re usually hearing from Sweden, Deranged remains a band that is remarkably consistent in their quality. Yet, generally speaking, ‘Cut Carve Rip Serve’, the only album the band released for Sevared Records, is one of the few Deranged that doesn’t really have any duds or weak moments. That alone warrants a vinyl version, almost fifteen years later, but better late than never.
