:: The Great Deceiver - Life Is Wasted On The Living

The Great Deceiver

From the outset, it looks like Tomas ‘Tompa’ Lindberg took a little time off away from the scene, only to return with a vengeance with two new albums and a series of reunion dates lined up with the highly influential melodic death metal founders At The Gates. But the truth of the matter is that The Great Deceiver actually completed work on their latest effort as far back as early 2007. What really held this album up was finding a new label after the band parted ways with Peaceville Records, who released 2004’s ‘Terra Incognito’. But after entering into talks with several labels, the band signed up with Deathwish Music, who presents us with the band’s third full-length effort ‘Life Is Wasted On The Living’. Anyone who has come across The Great Deceiver’s work in the past will be all too familiar with the experimental nature of the group’s sound, with everything from nu-metal, industrial, metalcore and hardcore punk used to describe their collective influences. And true to the progression shown on their previous albums, ‘Life Is Wasted On The Living’ is another change of direction for the Swedish act.

From the moment the opening track ‘Home To Oblivion’ begins, it’s immediately apparent that ‘Life Is Wasted On The Living’ is not only the band’s most direct sounding material, but also their heaviest to date. The clash of old school hardcore and melodic death metal is still very much heard throughout the song, but it’s the streamlined approach to the song structure and the rawness of the guitar sounds that really sets the song apart from anything the band has done before. Lindberg in particular seemed as inspired as ever on this release, with the fast paced ‘Running With Scissors’, the punk/Disfear like ‘The Big Radiating Nothing’ and the bludgeoning ‘A Myth Retired’ all proving that he’s lost none of that trademark rasp in the years since At The Gates’ demise.
Unlike ‘Terra Incognito’, samples are used sparingly on this album, with tracks such as ‘Discontent’, ‘In The Wake Of Progress’ and ‘Small Town Ignorance’ the only songs displaying any obvious electronic enhancement. Melody too plays a bigger part on this album, with ‘Escapeplan Routed’, ‘Annihilating Liberty’ and ‘21st Century Heartburn’ definite stand outs on offer.

In terms of experimental metallic hardcore, The Great Deceiver really do stand in a class of their own. And while ‘Life Is Wasted On The Living’ isn’t the sort of album that will initially grab you, repeated listens will convince you that this album is another stunning sonic achievement from the band.