Hailing from a crossfire of wildly eclectic musical influences and growing up in north-east London, self-described “chaos merchant” Deijuvhs is slamming onto the scene with Cemetery Scum, a mixtape with a desire to blend dirty Y2K influences with rowdy nu-metal anthems.
Setting up what Deijuvhs (pronounced day-u-VHS) is all about, Cemetery Scum kicks into being with ‘Comatose’ and ‘Lotus’. Leaning massively into the nu-metal elements of the genre, ‘Comatose’ embodies a new style of music, ‘hoodpunk,’ a moniker coined by Deijuvhs to fit the cutting-edge sound he’s creating. Away from boxes and labels, Deijuvhs has managed to craft a niche in the alt scene, but more importantly in the Black-British alt scene which can be felt within the meaty riffs and lyrics of ‘Lotus’. Ideas of being left behind and surrounding yourself in an environment which would only foster bad energy showcase the place that Deijuvhs is writing from.
This is also evident in ‘Devil May Cry’, the final song of the mixtape. One of the more mellow but deeply moving songs featured on Cemetery Scum, ‘Devil May Cry’ is a powerful track that stems from Deijuvhs emerging from addiction. Openly talking about this Deijuvhs has said “I used to think I needed drugs to be creative.” In exact contrast to that point ‘Devil May Cry’ features some of the most hauntingly poetic lyrics featured on a nu-metal based mixtape for a long time. “The devil may cry sometimes but even he knows how to smile,” is a lyric that will carry this mixtape far into the future to be heard for generations to come. The softer tones of this song really allow the listener to hear the North-East London accent of Deijuvhs that is so distinctly his, and that truly proves his point that you can find catharsis in writing and being creative regardless of upbringing or where you’re from. You have to make these opportunities for yourself.
It seems very apparent by track six, ‘Neo Massacre’, that Deijuvhs takes huge inspiration from all things noughties. Hitting immediately into a lick that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Korn album, you are then met with vocals that you’d expect to hear from the likes of Travis Scott or Playboi Carti. But that is exactly the calling Deijuvhs has set up for himself, and it really works. ‘Neo-Massacre’ also features the innovative work of young British producer, Ghosty, on the beat which adds an extra depth that this song may otherwise have lacked.
In keeping with the noughties theme, ‘Zombie’, an introspective breakup song, is a track that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Kerrang TV Friday night in the early 2000s, following your first ever break up, Kerrang on full blast thinking your life is over, that is ‘Zombie’. And it hits on a life changing moment that everyone has experienced, but Deijuvhs has a talent for making the listener feel like all the experiences he is singing about are unique. Within the relatively short two and a half minutes, Deijuvhs can relate to most of the population lyrically while still creating a beat that demands to be heard.
Embarking on a UK tour in June, Deijuvhs certainly has enough material on this mixtape to keep crowds engaged. This is the kind of entertainment the modern nu-metal scene is missing, the rap style lyrics of the Y2K era blended with the modern pulsating beats of rap, all encased with hefty guitar riffs. Deijuvhs has done exactly what he set out to do, he has created his own genre and put himself centre stage. Listeners of Cemetery Scum are in for a wild ride.
Score: 7/10
Cemetery Scum will be released on March 28th 2025.
Words: Emily Bancroft
Photos: Deijuvhs
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