When it comes to best-of albums, generally one tends to expect a cobbled-together release that compiles a band’s discography into one CD with minimal effort from all parties – which can be disappointing for long-term fans who own the tracks already. However, The Re-Arrival is different. Thirty tracks spanning over two CDs, including reworked and rearranged songs from their illustrious back catalogue, previously unheard songs and even three brand new songs, The Re-Arrival is not just your average best-of.
The first of the two CDs contains all of the old favourites as well as the three aforementioned brand new tracks, and Deadlock get the release moving in true style by opening with a brand new offering, An Ocean’s Monument. It’s like a direct continuation from the material of their latest album The Arsonist yet also feels like they’ve blended their best elements from their older material, which is incredibly refreshing to hear, and eases the listener seamlessly into the album.
Immediately following this is fan favourite Code Of Honor, which features guest harsh vocals from Heaven Shall Burn’s Markus Bischoff, and he helps gives the track a new spin with his powerful vocal delivery. The first CD then progresses strongly from there, with incredible tracks such as The Brave/Agony Applause, Dark Cell and Htrae being particularly welcome inclusions. In addition, the new tracks are exciting and promising, setting the scene well for future releases from the outfit.
An especially striking track on the first CD is Awakened By Sirens 2014 which, as the title implies, is a rerecorded version of their 2005 Earth.Revolt track. As well as the song being reworked, it also features a brand new ending, complete with group vocals in addition to Sabine’s, which really gives the song a new lease of life. Definitely the standout track of the first CD.
The second CD is more of a rarity-oriented collection of songs and the majority of this CD is very early material taken from the band’s origins as more of a hardcore band. Although it perhaps might not be as original as their more recent material (indeed, one of the things that makes Deadlock stand out from the crowd is the way they blend so many different genres and styles into one), but it’s still an engaging listen all the same. The early recordings (especially the ones from the Insist demo) are of a rough and ready in-your-face quality and are packed full of energy, made for performing live and when listening to them you can just see the band in a tiny little sweatbox giving it their all! It’s a good way of showing how far Deadlock have progressed over their career and is a great addition for the fans who perhaps aren’t so familiar with the band’s origins.
The cover of Running Wild’s When Time Runs Out is a most welcome inclusion and is just an all-round fun sounding track – it’s full of good vibes and you can really hear how much fun the band had in recording this one. It’s just everything you could possibly want from a cover song; Deadlock really make it their own, yet don’t tweak it so much that it’s unrecognisable as a Running Wild track!
All in all, The Re-Arrival is a fantastic release. Not only is it a treat for long-term fans, it’s also a great place to start for those who haven’t yet discovered the band. Now this is how you do a best-of album!
9/10
Don’t forget you can still check out our interview with Ferdi here.
