Album Review: Blindead 23 – Deuterium (Peaceville)

Blindead 23 is the new Polish avant-metal juggernaut born from the ashes of Blindead. Led by ex-Behemoth guitarist Mateusz “Havoc” Smierzchalski, with a stellar lineup also including Roger Öjersson (ex-Katatonia) and Pawel “Pavulon” Jaroszewicz (Vltimas, ex-Vader, ex-Decapitated). The debut album ‘Deuterium’ will be released on April 24th, 2026, via Peaceville Records.

This isn’t Blindead, but it’s also not something completely new either. Instead, it’s best to see this new incarnation of the band as an evolved thing. Where elements of the band that was are effortlessly, and expertly, blended with exciting and experimental ideas. Call what Blindead 23 do avant-garde, call it progressive, call it whatever you want, but rest assured, it stands out.

Let me make this clear from the start. I love this record. This is my kind of progressive metal, my kind of challenge, and my kind of madness. The kind that comes with atmosphere, cinematically charged, and the kind that comes with bite. That is what the pairing of Immersion I and Immersion II delivers in an impressively creative way.

It should come as no surprise that a band with this much talent in it is able to create music with weight, both from a melodic and metallised perspective. Yet, there’s so much more to it. It is a conceptual journey with important links to reality, dealing with reflections of the soul. It’s not often progressive metal has such a potently personal feel, but that’s Deuterium.

Of course, progressive metal like this doesn’t just comes with variations on intensity, it also comes with layers of musicality that challenge. Throughout the album there are plenty of moments where Blindead 23 confound. Whereas Wither is a sombre piece delivered in lethargically melodic fashion, Worst Laid Plans is an extensive (nearly eleven minutes long) musical journey that delivers immersion through focused heaviness, melody and a powerful atmospheric shift that cleverly uses electronica to elaborate on the tone. It’s a track that demands patience but rewards those willing to give it.

The latter part of the album is just as extensive even if nothing else quite manages to hit with as much impact as the previous track, First, there is the title track which sees Blindead 23 draw from their post past and deliver a vibrant display of expressive heaviness. Then there is Towards the Dark, a track with a thick vein of gloominess running through it and one of the weirdest moments of the entire album. Before You Are the Universe wraps things up in captivating, cinematic fashion, Blindead 23 expertly tapping into an emotional layer that makes the end of the album so much more potent.

It’s an album that stays with you, even if it needs multiple listens to truly appreciate. That is what gives it longevity, the fact that there is so much to unpack and the journey to doing so is downright desirable.

Blindead 23 – Deuterium Track Listing:

1. Immersion I
2. Immersion II
3. Wither
4. Worst Laid Plans
5. Deuterium
6. Towards the Dark
7. You Are the Universe

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