Deeds Of Flesh is one of those bands that I've bumped into on a regular basis over the years, but for some odd reason I've not followed their evolution as much as I probably should. The last Deeds Of Flesh album I picked up was Path of the Weakening, and that was when it was released. I really don't know why I've missed out on their last two albums Mark of the Legion and Reduced to Ashes, and I hate to admit it that I have. Quite a bit has happened to Deeds Of Flesh music-wise since I picked up the aforementioned album, and their progression occurs very evident to me. The music is [if anyone should be in doubt] brutal and ultra fast death metal, but the band [unlike others] succeed in making their songs varied, so they don't appear as one long monotone pummel. The band doesn't use a whole lot of energy on solos; actually there's none at all, but funny enough it doesn't matter much because the music doesn't need them, so you never actually miss any. The music is kept in a very fast pace, but occasionally it slows down to a slower and more moderate tempo which of course contributes further to the diversity of the songs.

The production is fat and juicy; though the drums sound a bit too clinical and sterile at times [perhaps this is due to the use of triggers?]. But it's something that doesn't really withdraw anything from the overall musical experience. The sound may be fat, but it still holds the perfect balance between being heavy on one hand and being clear on the other. I find that important because that way the small details don't drown in the greater picture. Here after several listens I think the titletrack "Crown of Souls", "Hammer-Forged Blade" and "Crimson Offering" are the songs that stand out the most, but this might change a bit after further listens because the remaining tracks are worthwhile too. Crown of Souls does not disappoint. Of course I can't draw any comparison to the previous album Reduced to Ashes since I haven't heard it, but I nevertheless found Crown of Souls to be a pleasant surprise, and it has definitely made me want to go fill out the empty holes in my Deeds Of Flesh CD collection.