DEAFCON5 – Exit to Insight

The German act named Deafcon5 dabbles in an eclectic mixture of hard rock and metal with a notably progressive touch to it, and this fourth full-length opus of theirs tackles some rather interesting philosophical questions relating to the human condition. What immediately stands out is how varied the song material is, and the whole thing is nothing if not well-played and nicely arranged, but many of the ideas, riffs, and melodies lack a distinctive character and it is almost as if the lyrical narrative of the album instantly becomes better than the actual music once you start spinning the disc. The vocals are very much where things fall apart as the essence and intended atmosphere of the compositions require more than what is being served up here, which is to say that the singing neither covers enough ground nor reaches any of those heights where the hair on your arms stand up. More prominent musical motifs and powerful hooks would have been most welcome, too. As it is, one tends to lose focus quite often throughout and the attention does tend to wander on several occasions.   

Exit to Insight contains plenty of good moments and cool twists but never turns into something properly immersive, which is a damn shame, and when the LP reaches its end, one if left feeling that it is a bit of a wasted opportunity as it could have been so much wider in scope and more emotionally charged than it is. The tracks “As I Am,” “Trip to Me,” and “Escape Route” appear more confident and less half-baked than the others, and all three of them offer an enjoyable sense of drama and some meaty, muscular riffs, but it is simply too little, too late to save the record from being an underwhelming affair. In the overall perspective, you might say that the music and vocals fail to complement the lyrics properly and that one is left with a whole bunch of frustrating what-ifs.