Review by Felix on December 26, 2021.

Of course, we can discuss the dissemination policy of the record company when looking at releases like Deadlights. But we can also focus on the music itself. From my point of view, Gehenna's indisputable decline began with the aimlessly raging Murder. That means reverse that their previous releases captivated by their high quality. The here presented EP did also not lack of accurately dosed aggression and power. It's three tracks did not leave a huge impact and they were surely no outstanding masterpieces of their splendid black genre. Nevertheless, they were worth a listen, not only because of the adequate production. The sound can be described as dark, powerful and genre-specific, but do not expect icecold guitars.

The final track ('Master Satan') exhibited the briskest and most unconcerned side of the band. It was driven by a speed metal riff and the purposefully hammering drums. Its chaotic ending reminded me of the early days of Venom. The other tracks sounded a bit less aggressive. The title track acted like a first teaser for the following full-length. It presented an ambitious band that tried to offer a suspenseful composition with a lot of breaks, tempo changes and different vibes. Less would have been more, because the single parts of the song did not always melt seamlessly into each other. However, it represented a more than solid track. More or less the same applied to 'In Mother's Tomb'. While presenting a courageous approach, it commuted between high velocity sections and double bass driven mid-tempo verses. The simple keyboard lines added a haunting atmosphere without hurting the harsh appearance of the song. In conclusion, it must be said that the non-album tracks did definitely not pale beside the title track of this EP. This is, as you surely know, unfortunately not a matter of course.

All tunes had in common that they did not lack of the appropriate amount of melodic lines. Nevertheless, the focus was mainly set on harshness and ferocity. And there was good news for purists, because the here presented black metal pieces were free from external influences. Due to the respectable playtime of 16 minutes and in view of the carefully considered compositions, it can be stated that the Norwegians delivered value for money.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10