If you're like me, you grew up during the heyday of melodic death metal. From Slaughter of the Soul to Damage Done, I ate that stuff for breakfast. Those albums were probably the defining moment of my transition into the more extreme forms of metal. Sadly, all things must end. After a good decade of solid releases, it seemed that the once emblematic genre had nothing left to say. Call me cynical, but I find that most of today's melodeath releases are just lifeless rehashings of old ideas. Fortunately, a few times a year, a release rises from the muck to bring that old spirit back to life. Dysnomia is one of those albums.
Now understand, this may not exactly be a life-changing release, but there are two things a group can do to make waves: change the rules with new ideas, or do the blueprint better than anyone else. The cats in Dysnomia do the latter. Not only are the riffs thrillingly catchy and exceedingly fast; there is a level of heart in every aspect of the music that shines brighter than a thousand suns. The performances are incredibly energetic, and the production choices really help this quality shine.
Listening to this album is like stepping into a time capsule to the late 90's/early 00's. While many melodeath bands currently sport those squelchy vocals common to groups like Mors Principium Est and digital-sounding drums, Dysnomia aren't going for it. The production on the drum kit is soaked in old-school reverb that makes everything sound live. Each bass, tom, and snare hit is filled with aggression as they cascade through the mix. Meanwhile the death growls command attention with a harshness similar to The Haunted or At the Gates. There are even some lovely female backups a la early Dark Tranquillity on “Baptized in Rain.”
One last aspect of note is the synth work, which adds a subtle beauty to each arrangement. Keys at times envelope the listener in soothing soundscapes during breaks and interludes, or as on “Reach Clarity,” create a cyber atmosphere similar to that of MPE's Liberation=Termination. Whichever case it may be, the arrangements add a fullness to the sound and often rise to breathtaking crescendos.
So, at the risk of fanboying pretty hard, you need to buy this album. Today if possible. I know the digital pricetag on this one is a bit higher than most at 10 Euro on bandcamp, but I assure you that it is worth every penny if you like melodic death metal even a smidgen. Alternatively, you can buy it on Amazon for $8.99. Either way, Dysnomia has managed to pique my rare interest for modern melodeath along with the likes of Serenity in Murder, Aspherium, and Bloodshot Dawn.
