• Facts
      • Band: dEUS
      • Album: Vantage Point
      • Running time: 46:40 [10 tracks]
      • Genre: alternative
      • Release date: April 28, 2008
      • Label: V2
      • Official website: dEUS
      • The Bullet Rating:7.5/10
      • .
    • EP Tracklist
      • When She Comes Down
      • Oh Your God
      • Eternal Woman
      • Favourite Game
      • Slow
      • The Architect
      • Is a Robot
      • Smokers Reflect
      • The Vanishing of Maria Schneider
      • Popular Culture
      • .
    • Rating
      • 10 - Head banging rock
      • 8 - Rock N Roll
      • 6 - Wobble
      • 4 - Sway
      • 2 - Seaside rock

Album review: dEUS - Vantage Point

dEUS is an alternative band, formed in Belgium and fronted by Tom Barman. Main influences include Frank Zappa, Sonic Youth and Mingus-style jazz, Leonard Cohen and the Velvet Underground. Consequently, they incorporate a wide variety of styles, including pop, folk, jazz, punk and metal into their work. They are one of the most successful (and influential) Belgian rock bands ever. First album Worst Case Scenario [1994] is considered a classic.

Vantage Point is the fifth studio album, and a little inconsistent in style. When She Comes down is flowing and calm, while following track Oh Your God sounds more like the ‘old’ dEUS; less polished. The flowing sound on When She Comes Down is caused by the keyboard that lingers in the background throughout the song. This is done in several songs on the album.

For Vantage Point, dEUS has worked with a couple of guest singers. You will hear Lies Lorquet of the band Mintzkov on Eternal Woman. Her fragile voice gives the song a sweet edge without turning it into a ballad. The first single of this album is Slow, where Tom Barman is also assisted by a female singer. This time by Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife. Her Swedish accent is audible and resembles that of the Icelandic singer Björk. Slow has an almost hypnotic drum, taking you to higher levels. Definitely one of the better songs on the album.

Second single The Architect is danceable and radio friendly, which flows over into the quieter Is A Robot. The second half of the album is more melancholic, for example The Vanishing of Maria Schneider, the French actrice who went completely naked in the film Last Tango in Paris in 1972.

Verdict: It’s the first time that dEUS has made an album with the same line-up of the band as during the previous album. That it’s not just Tom Barman and his musicians is clearly audible. It’s a band. If you like the old dEUS, Vantage Point might not be your cup of tea, but it’s definitely a good album.

Imre