First and foremost, let’s get the Evanescence reference out of the way:
It is almost impossible not to draw comparisons between this unknown gothic alt-metal outfit from Poznan, Poland and the Grammy-winning bestselling band Evanescence. With its strong female vocalist and emotional songs, [Deleted] is absolutely a band that would click with Evanescence fans. With the frontwoman’s (who goes by the pseudonym “Third Eye”) dominating vocals, complete with European accent and all, [Deleted] is very much Poland’s answer to Evanescence – and a darling one, too, because [Deleted] certainly does not seem like a band that in any manner is trying to model its music after Evanescence.
The band’s full-length debut definitely rocks hard. Post-grunge hard rock sound mixed generously with elements of glam rock forms the basic framework of the music on this album. Tracks such as “Comatose,” “Agenda,” “Reflections,” and “The Moth” exhibit this combination with as much perfection and confidence as the cuts do on Velvet Revolver’s Contraband, minus of the swagger of course. Vocalist Third Eye is a very passionate singer and gives an emotional weight to the music; this in turn definitely adds an emo flair to the band’s musical persona. Some of this emotional intensity is put to good use on tracks like “Wasteland (We Call Home),” “On The Road,” and “Howl,” giving them a soaring feel and making them near anthemic.
[Deleted] started off as a project experimenting with electronic music and guitars. And this aspect of the band is pretty predominant on this record, in the form of the more industrial numbers. Most prominent of which is “Strange Days” with its heavy synth-driven rhythmic framework. The other cuts of similar disposition are closer to “Warning” (which happens to be the best of the bunch), with a more even balance between the guitar and the synth sounds. The instrumental “Pareidolia” is identical to some of the surreal Nine Inch Nails instrumentals, where there is tension brewing beneath that never really erupts, resulting in a beautiful anticlimax of a song. There is, however, no anticlimax on the whole to be disappointed with on this self-titled album by this outfit, as it is a pretty strong effort from beginning to end.