REVIEW

A compilation release from mysterious masked shoegaze artist deer death.

Despite the title Demos & Throwaways, the material here is on par with a full-length album in both focus and impact. The familiar core remains—grunge-rooted noisy guitars and a sorrow-tinged, raspy vocal—but the collection highlights the breadth of his approach and willingness to explore new textures. On #2 “Flesh Jail,” for example, he unexpectedly leans into a glossy high-register vocal, revealing a different facet of his range.

#5 “Blind To You” stands out as a relatively uptempo track by deer death standards. Its driving beat and aching melody inevitably recall the melancholic intensity of Sentenced. Strong tracks abound throughout, making this one of the most satisfying releases in his catalog to date.

As if that weren’t enough, deer death has already released a second album this year under the deer death & Nextime name. His creative momentum shows no signs of slowing down, and it will be fascinating to see where he takes this sound next.