Gems naturally emerge, and DeadTrees is one such gem hailing from China.
The project was conceived by MMM, a Chinese musician also known as the vocalist for DeathKnell and the founder of Fluffy Moon Productions. While his first known release dates back to 2018, it was in 2026 that he released his fourth album, New World, in partnership with Pest Productions.
The doors to his universe open gently with Extinguished City, the first track, initially rooted in Asian folk music, then tinged with a heavy and seizing Post-Black Metal that itself calls for a soothing touch to provide contrast between two waves of darkness. The blend is as complementary as it is coherent, though disrupted by the heart-wrenching leads that intrude on its flow as it moves toward Transcendence, the second track, where we first encounter the Blackgaze approach followed by a more experimental yet still quite melancholic saxophone. Once again, the magic works, and although at first glance they might seem completely opposite, all the elements work hand in hand to fuel the dreamlike atmosphere that develops naturally, even becoming a bit chaotic before an intoxicating finale that leads into Archon of Anguis. A moment of tranquility awaits us, but the intensity naturally pulls us back into this strange yet fascinating whirlwind, which draws not only on even more dance-oriented roots but also on almost noise-inspired elements to create this unique, almost timeless sound that gives equal voice to raw Post-Rock elements and the fragility of traditional instruments. The waves crash over us until Drink & Dance gathers us in, immediately presenting a musical paradox between the virulent drums and the soaring layers of the other instruments that we savor while being amazed by the power unleashed by the musician, as well as by the sensitivity that weaves itself into our ears as the captain roughs it up before moving on to Dead Screen, which bathes us in a brief moment of haunting tenderness. The drums will once again be the element that sets the powder keg alight, invoking saturation and darkness in this tableau as majestic as it is surprising, and which doesn’t hesitate to sprinkle a touch of intoxicating joie de vivre into its break to restart the machine before the piano guides us to New World. The title track is also the longest, but it’s certainly not the least intense, as every second of its eight minutes is entirely devoted to capturing our attention, something it perfectly does, whether through its harmonics, its pulsating rhythm, or its piercing notes that drown in the perfectly haunting sound—but it is only after the climax of the final that silence will fall.
If talent knows no bounds, neither does DeadTrees. Navigating at will through a palette ranging from Black Metal to Folk elements and electronic or minimalist touches, the project delivers a true escape with New World. Listen to it.
95/100
