Review by Beth Taylor
Released: 21 November 2025
Independent
It’s a great time to be a mononymous hardcore band from Sydney – everyone say thank you Speed. And personally, I love when heavy bands make ignorant music for the pit.
I am so sorry. I know that not everyone likes to hear the excessive use of words like “motherfucker” and “bitch” in their music, especially in the big year of 2025.
But you know where that type of thing goes hard? The pit, motherfucker.
From the very first count in on the very first track, it’s clear that Aussie quintet Deficit have one sole purpose. They write for the pit, and their ‘Deathstyle’ EP is music made for dancing.
‘Suffocate/Deadweight’ is a bruising opener, and I can already picture the bodies flying through the air to this one. Vocalist Nathan Newman declares “you think I ever cared? I never gave a fuck,” immediately before the listener is assaulted with an egregious amount of turntable scratching.
As RuPaul once said: “know who you are, and serve it at all times,” and Deficit deliver faithfully on their brand throughout the course of this EP. The brand has been dubbed ‘Deathstyle’ by the group, which serves as a descriptor for their musical genre, record name, and seemingly, way of life.
If the EP is the soundtrack to the lifestyle, then ‘Deathstyle’ is the metal you play while driving a hotted up car too fast on the way to the show, preferably while wearing a baseball cap and speed dealer sunnies. The title track advocates for audience participation in the pit, demanding the hapless listener to “get down with the deathstyle!!”
Understood, I think. After all, getting down with the sickness is so 25 years ago. I just need to find a pair of speed dealers and I’ll be right there with you- “to the front bitch, time to hit the floor!” – alright jeez, I get it! Hitting the floor stat!
As I said, I love this type of thing. I love that ‘Deathstyle’ is just Limp Bizkit’s ‘Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)’ reimagined for 2025. I genuinely laughed when I heard the sample with the sirens because it’s such a perfect homage. The strong American influence is certainly inescapable, and most blatant on recent single ‘FYA.’ The rap metal stylings of UNITYTX lend a je n’ais ce quoi to the track, giving the Aussies a bit more street cred. However, I can also see how the overpowering testosterone of it all may be alienating for some listeners.
If there’s a weak point on ‘Deathstyle’ it’s not the music itself – the band is tight as hell. I’d wager that anyone who enjoys blast beats will enjoy this collection of songs, and there’s plenty of little guitar flourishes and drum fills to keep things interesting for the listener. However, the lyrics are fairly repetitive, which is quite a feat for only 6 songs. Get up, get down. Step up, step down. Bitch! and so on. The tough guy act is all part of it, of course, and it’s undeniable that these are fun things to yell when you’re stomping around in a sweaty room. Speaking of which, ‘Step Up’ featuring Life Cycles includes my favourite pit call I’ve heard in some time, which is simply: “GET DECKED!” Incredible stuff.
In summary, Deficit aren’t here to fuck spiders. They’ve been faithfully pumping out singles and finessing their live show for the last few years, so if you have a spare 20 minutes and would like to hear some hectic bangers I’d suggest getting around them. See ya getting down with the deathstyle (once I’ve found my sunnies) at a show in 2026!
For fans of: Kublai Khan, 28 Days, Speed, and throwing down
Rating: 7/10
Review by Beth Taylor
Deficit – DEATHSTYLE tracklisting:
- SUFFOCATE/DEADWEIGHT
- FYA(Feat. UNITY TX)
- DEATHSTYLE
- STEP UP (Feat. LIFE CYCLES)
- BLOODSPORT
- FINAL BOSS
DEATHSTYLE from Deficit is out now and streaming everywhere!
Deficit will also be appearing alongside Boundaries and Harroway for the Fit for a King Exclusive Australian Headline show at Crowbar Sydney on January 29 2026, make sure to get along to this show if you can!
Tickets on sale now through Destroy All Lines
