Discern - To Praise With Persecution
Any band that starts off its cd with an Ode to Chuck Shuldiner sets for the listener some very high standards. Discern, a band from Texas, tries to dish out some old school death metal with an evident influence from classic bands such as Death with infusions of trash metal. This band is actually a one man band which was rather surprising for me since I found such a variety in the instrumental composition that is unlike other one man bands. The guitar solos in this cd are definitely not missing, yet, I have mixed feelings about them. On one side they are of the highest quality and well executed. However, this band attempts too hard to integrate the older melodic solos with newer more brutal riffing. In some instances the solos downbeat the song at a point when a crescendo is actually more in place. Still, hats off for the solos. The overall quality of the album is very good but the vocals sound outside the song. They definitely required more volume and the tone in which they are delivered are not compatible with the rest of the music. On Discern’s biography I noted the referral to the term ‘blues laced’, which is evidently present in songs such as Second Death Honesty. I must say it makes for an interesting composition which I applaud. I would still recommend this cd on the grounds that Discern is technically very good and will definitely keep delivering pounding death metal.
1. Intro (Ode To Schuldiner)
2. I Sacrifice
3. Second Death Honesty
4. Your Choice_
5. One Flesh
6. The Anointing
7. Pagan God
8. Change For The Worse
9. Grace
10. Behold The Heretic
11. Outro
2. I Sacrifice
3. Second Death Honesty
4. Your Choice_
5. One Flesh
6. The Anointing
7. Pagan God
8. Change For The Worse
9. Grace
10. Behold The Heretic
11. Outro
