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"Bizarro World" is a bizarre beast indeed. One moment you’re listening to an In Flames type of Thrash/Melodic Death Metal which without warning morphs into a Cranberries type of female-fronted Gothic Rock. Before you can apply your black make-up, along comes an acoustic piano ballad and you're as emotionally disoriented as you'll ever be. This is an album where electro-pop tunes stand alongside Death Metal savagery. Don't let all this put you off though - given some time (and repeated spins) "Bizarro World" might turn out to be an alluring piece of experimental music art.

The concept of "Bizarro World" was inspired by a series of comics first published by DC Comics in the 1960s. It concerns a world called Htrae (Earth spelled backwards) which is an antithesis of the Earth we live in. Hence, for example, beauty is abhorred, ugliness is admired and there is an instinctive urge towards imperfection.

In this, Deadlock's 5th full-length release, the level of musicianship is more than adequate - as showcased, for example, in 'Brutal Romance', home to some excellent drumming and nimble guitar licks. What, on the other hand, I most found hard to reconcile with was an over-sophistication of the album's sound (on both technical and compositional levels) which gives it a sort of cloak of dense ice that is hard to penetrate. In Bizarro World/Htrae this might have been fine but I guess us Earthlings tend to be more fickle than that. Ironically the track 'Earthlings' is a possible exception, having an excellent and melodic intro and unrelentless pace throughout.

The unorthodox nature of "Bizarro World" means it's hard to predict which fans are more likely to appreciate it. So whatever music genre you warm to most readily, do check it out and then decide for yourselves.....if you can.

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