Compact Deity

Compact Deity
Modern Noise-Detroit
Sanctum Records



Normally a three song EP wouldn't be something that I would review, but I never set out to be a conventional source for music reviews. My goal was to grant exposure to up and coming MySpace artists so that they could benefit and grow. One such band that certainly grabbed my attention in the past few months and deserves much more exposure is Compact Deity. Based out of Detroit, Michigan, vocalist and guitarist Tarik Al-Kadhim grabs hold of the listeners ear by presenting a dark, multi-textural form of gothic rock replete with bombastic guitars and synthetic atmospheres. Modern Noise-Detroit is a three song EP of which all can be found by visiting Compact Deity's MySpace Page or their web site.

Opening the set is "The Desolation," a track that begins with a metallic guitar riff reminiscent of Motorhead's "Ace of Spades." That is where the similarities end as an electronic pulse kicks the song in to high gear with it's high rpm beat count. The song is weighted down by Shawn Busch's bass and propelled forward by the mechanizations of drummer Kyle Smith. But when Al-Kadhim's vocals kick in, the song gets really dark. Think Carl McCoy (Fields of the Nephilim) at his most bitter moments. The track is heavy, dark and actually quite good.

Until I got my hands on the CD, I honestly thought "The Desolation" was going to be the best track that Compact Deity was going to offer. That was until I heard "Santum Sanctorum." Blending a slower atmospheric trudge with the metallic churn of metallic guitar, the song unfolds as a tribute to Sisters of Mercys gothic sound with a refined emphasis on guitar leads. I couldn't help but wonder if Al-Khadim was influenced in any way by the great guitar playing of fellow Detroit denizen John Ricco (Warrior Soul). This track, along with it's cryptic lyrics draws goth, metal and elements of shoe gaze together in to one brilliant hybrid.

"Myriad" closes out the short set with its ethnic flavorings rife with Middle Eastern flair, ochestral strings and endless guitar noodlings that meander over the melancholy beat pattern. The success of this track is clearly exhibited in the layers of sounds that are presented, merging cultural influences with the dark brooding sound of Al-Kadhim's melodramatic yet calm voice.

Tarik Al-Kadhim was once a member of Ann Arbor's electro/synthpop band Neo Vogue in the eighties, but has finally found his way back to music after dabbling in side projects and completing University studies. The three songs on this EP are somewhat of a taster for fresher material yet to come, since the tracks on this disc seem to be a representation of the best work Compact Deity has been known to do over the past several years. With hopes of a new album to appear this year, I can only hope that I have turned you on to a band that is going to make a bright splash in the dark rock music scene for years to come!



Visit these links and check out Compact Deity's music. It doesn't disappoint.

Compact Deity Web Site

Compact Deity MySpace Page
- Joseph Graham, Music Journalist for Outburn Magazine