Deez Nuts return with Saudade sounding heavier, sharper, and far more purposeful than much of their earlier work. This is a record that doesn’t just hit hard—it feels calculated in how it does damage, pairing sheer physical force with a level of polish and seriousness the band hasn’t always chased.

It becomes obvious immediately. “ICU” explodes out of the gate with ripping hardcore riffs and drum rolls so massive they feel structural, like the whole album is being built around them. The title’s ICU wordplay lands harder than expected, because the track genuinely feels dangerous in its impact. That sense of scale never really fades—throughout Saudade, the drums act as the album’s gravitational pull, anchoring everything else even when the bass occasionally takes a step back in the mix.

That drum-first approach carries into “Kill This Shit,” where deep, grooving chugs meet JJ Peters’ most confident vocal swagger in years. The riffs are clean, sharp, and muscular, but what really sets Saudade apart is a subtle stylistic curveball: flashes of 80s metal attitude creeping into the band’s hardcore foundation. It first shows its face on “5 Gold Chains,” where glam-leaning brightness and heavyweight chugs coexist without clashing, the drums pumping relentlessly underneath like a second pulse. That flash of glam-metal flair keeps resurfacing across the record, adding color without softening the blow.

The production plays a huge role in selling that evolution. Everything sounds bigger and clearer than before, a shift that’s especially noticeable on “Russian Roulette.” It’s not the album’s most aggressive moment, but it might be one of its most revealing—giving the bass room to rumble beneath sharpened riffs and letting clean vocal passages breathe. The restraint here highlights just how tight and intentional the band’s pacing has become.

That control pays off again on “Uncut Gems,” one of the album’s most dynamic tracks. Layered vocals, gang shouts, and sudden tempo shifts swing the song from slow, crushing weight to fast, punk-driven bursts. Saudade thrives on this push-and-pull: every slowdown feels engineered to make the next impact land even harder. “Miss Me With That” leans into the formula with crunchy riffs and soaring backing vocals, turning a stomp-heavy groove into something legitimately massive.

By the time “Hang the Hangman” arrives—with Andrew Neufeld adding extra presence—the band feel completely locked in. The song itself plays it relatively safe structurally, but the enormous breakdown and thick bass swell make it one of the album’s most physically overwhelming moments. It’s chest-caving in the best way.

Deez Nuts don’t abandon their punk roots either. “God Damn” injects upbeat drum patterns and fuzzy bass into the mix, flowing with surprising ease and giving the clean vocals room to explore a slightly different lane without sacrificing weight. That balance between looseness and control continues on “Give ’Em Hell,” where washed-out guitars and deep drums tap into the soaring energy of early-2010s metalcore—only here it feels more refined, less gimmicky, and far more confident.

The album’s biggest stylistic gamble comes at the end. “Cold Sweat” closes Saudade on an ominous slow burn, blending acoustic guitar, electric textures, hollow-feeling drums, and thick bass into something unexpectedly atmospheric. It initially threatens to feel understated, but swelling backing vocals and the introduction of violins elevate it into a cinematic, emotionally charged finale that adds real depth to the record’s closing moments.

Saudade captures Deez Nuts sounding heavier, cleaner, and more deliberate than they have in years. The drums dominate without overwhelming, the riffs cut with equal parts hardcore aggression and glam-metal flair, and the vocals—layered, sharp, and full of character—reflect a band taking itself more seriously without losing its edge. Not every experiment lands with the same force, but the album as a whole feels bigger, bolder, and more refined than many might expect. Rather than delivering another pure swagger record, Deez Nuts prove here that they can evolve—and still hit just as hard.