Ded
Mis-An-Thrope
(Suretone Records)
Look, with a purposely misspelled band name and creating the type of music that could be described as “nu-metal,” Arizona band Ded have their cards stacked against them. However, this punchy and assertively hooky debut is a surprisingly wonderful introduction into the group’s brand of musical aggression. With notable influences ranging from Slipknot, Korn, Every Time I Die, and Bring Me The Horizon, Mis-An-Thrope sounds like the last 20 years of hard rock and metalcore distilled into a record that feels indebted to the past while blazing a path forward. It’s a remake of something we didn’t really need that somehow turned out much better than it has any right to be; yes, Ded are the 21 Jump Street of nu-metal.
What Ded are really smart about is balancing the, let’s call them sillier, elements of nu-metal with some fierce riffs and Joe Cotela’s multi-faceted vocal approach. Yes, there are a few rapped and/or Jonathan Davis-inspired verses, but they are contrasted with some truly exceptional stadium-sized choruses. Also, the lyrics are bold, repetitive, and absurdly profane at times, but Cotela’s journey into his inner darkness translates quite well, hitting that sweet spot between turmoil and inspirational. Oddly, many of the hooks recall Skillet’s mid-career industrial radio rock in feel, and while it can contrast sharply with the preceding and proceeding sections, Ded’s musical dexterity helps smooth out the rougher edges. Often, the band’s style is more in line with Bring Me The Horizon (if they were inspired by Korn more than Deftones) or My Ticket Home than Sworn In or Darke Complex. Compare “Anti-Everything” with some of the other songs in the nu-metal reboot realm (it ain’t a renaissance); Ded’s ability to bring the fun factor with a nice mix of aggression and melody is a real winner.
That really gets at why Mis-An-Thrope works much better than it should on paper: their ability to blend disparate influences into a cohesive sound, even if no two tracks sound the same. Compare “FMFY”, which features a juggernaut of a riff and an ode to the misanthropy in the only good season of True Detective with its follow-up, “Remember The Enemy” which is basically a radio rock tune (and a good one, to boot). Other tunes, like “I Exist” find a way to split the difference (and do so excellently). Mis-An-Thrope succeeds because it remembers what was good about nu-metal in its heyday: combining misanthropic, relatable lyrics with brash music that finds a sweet spot between metal, hardcore, and melodic rock. While not every track is a winner, Ded’s debut is certainly a winner. It’s not “great for nu-metal”; Mis-An-Thrope is too much fun to deride for being anything other than a success.
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Ded – Upcoming Tour dates
August 9 – Diamondz Events Center – Jerome, ID (KEDJ show)
August 10 – 3rd Wheel – Lewiston, ID (KOZZ show)
August 11 – Knitting Factory – Spokane, WA (KHTQ show)
August 12 – Knitting Factory – Boise, ID (KQXR show)
Ded Festival Appearances (More coming this fall)
7/22 — Rise Above Festival – Bangor, ME
9/9 – Revolution Rock Festival – Foxwoods Resort, CT
9/22 – High Elevation Rock Festival – Denver, CO
9/30 – Louder Than Life -Louisville, KY
10/1 – Sonic Boom – Janesville, WI
10/7 – Rock Allegiance – Camden, NJ
10/15 – Houston Open Air n- Houston, TX
10/22 – Aftershock – Sacramento, CA
11/5 – Ozzfest Meets Knotfest – San Bernadino, CA
1/18/18 – Shiprocked
Ded with Korn, Stone Sour and more
07/23 – Hartford, Ct. — Xfinity Theatre
07/25 – Toronto, Ontario — The Molson Amphitheatre
07/26 – Camden, N.J. — BB&T Pavilion
07/27 – Holmdel, N.J. — PNC Bank Arts Center
07/29 – Noblesville, Ind. — Klipsch Music Center
07/30 – Clarkston, Mich. — DTE Energy Music Theatre
08/01 – Cincinnati, Ohio — Riverbend Music Center
08/02 – Cleveland, Ohio — Blossom Music Center
