Disentomb make a sudden return once again with their third full-length album. Formed in Brisbane, Australia sometime within the late 2000s, the brutallic death metal quartet have done so and continue to make a mark on the scene both down under and around the globe with their monstrous live performances, crushing riff and blast beat combos, and out-of-this-universe vocals. Time to enjoy once again!
Released via Unique Leader Records in mid July 2019 (a switch from the old New Standard Elite label), The Decaying Light stands tall, both in name and sound, as a rather thought-provoking, slam element heavy, and thematically destructive album in its own right. The overall structure is a bit more technical this time around, though the same sludgy and gloomy ambiance is still there, mostly in part to the stellar production quality yet again. This 44 minute, 13 track long follow-up to Misery has a ton to offer both fans and new listeners alike, with mastering courtesy of Colin Davis (Vile) and album artwork by Nick Keller, who has worked with other notable artists in the metal community such as Altarage.
It all starts off with a subtle two or so minute track of mostly instrumental rampage, basically all the types of riffs and patterns you will be hearing for the next 40-plus minutes are introduced here. Then, song two comes in strong, with Misery vibes already closely in tow. The downtuned chromatic slams and familiar double bass drumming take the forefront in between the low, grimey growls of the vocals. Throughout the release, there are some sections in which the music slows down a bit to a slamming breakdown, which is a huge factoring into why I enjoy this band so much. Also, the overall fast playing akin to material like Defeated Sanity or Putridity is one thing that stands out quite a bit about Disentomb here once again.
'The Great Abandonment' is a shorter and slower but much more melodic track, despite feeling a bit like filler. 'Undying Dysphoria' earlier on in the album, however, is melodic yet over-the-top and slammy at the same time. The second song on The Decaying Light features the familiar toilet vocals of Abominable Putridity's own Matti Way, who makes the track a total blast to listen to later on in. Some songs like 'Centuries of Deluge' stick to one singular rhythm or melody while other tracks such as 'The Droning Light' as well as 'Dismal Liturgies', both of which come in the release's second half, are much more chaotic, fast paced and even feature some guitar solo-esque action in certain points. The vibes here are more blackened and will make fans of the band feel more at home in a way.
The Decaying Light also ends on an instrumental track, which felt kind of like a strange placement considering the brutality of the previous song (and the fact that this ending song is an acoustic fade out), but it interested me in some ways as well. In all, I liked a lot on here, despite how similar or all-too-familiar it may feel at times. There are some brief moments of innovation here and there, and the great songs outweigh the filler tracks by a landslide...also considering how developed the musicianship is, too.
On the surface, Disentomb's newest offering sounds and feels like Misery pt. 2. However, when you dive right into it, you realize that it's still the very best same despite the aforementioned and that there are ways, both in terms of execution and energy, that The Decaying Light builds upon its predecessor. The final product still stands as a very brutal and somewhat techy release for listeners to sink their senses into. It's like the old saying goes: if it ain't broke, then don't fix it.
Fave Tracks: 'Your Prayers Echo into Nothingness', 'Centuries of Deluge', 'The Droning Monolith'
For Fans Of: Condemned, Defeated Sanity
**This release is available now on multiple formats here!**
Full Stream Courtesy of Unique Leader Records:
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-Review by: Dave Raffy
Musician, reviewer, fan & promoter
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