Disentomb - The Decaying Light

Sheer brutality. That is the best way to describe Australian brutal slam death outfit Disentomb and their latest offering "The Decaying Light". It is a very surprising listen compared to their debut album all the way back from 2010, "Sunken Chambers Of The Nephilim", which felt more like a muddled mess of a band trying to be another Devourment clone. Ten years later Disentomb seemed to have forged more of their own place in a crushing genre that has more imitators than original acts and the result is a very satisfying, very accessible album of ear slamming metal. In fact, it can be said that Disentomb are probably one of the better groups to start with when concerning the genre of ‘slam death metal’ next to other headbangers like Ingested or Organectomy. By using crushing vocals that seem inhumanely possible and darkened melodies, "The Decaying Light" is a quick listen but well worth it. It puts more suffocating ‘aggressive’ definition on the death metal/slam death genre altogether without making listeners literally feel they can’t handle the music.

Right off the bat with ‘Collapsing Skies’ the dreary guitar distortion drags itself along with doomy elements that set this album apart from its predecessors. In the past it felt like Disentomb just tried to beat their listeners into submission with speed and aggression with very limited musical scope, but they’ve changed it up here without losing their aggressive touch. The production is much better so the drums are heard much clearer and instead of being a chug fest on the other instruments, the melodies are just evil and suit the track all the way through. The only downside is it is short- very much like the rest of the album, so it can end as quickly as it began. Things pick up more with ‘Your Prayers Echo Into Nothingness’ with rumbling bass lines and more of that grinding chug that most death metal fans are used to, but the subtle hints of melody are still there so boredom doesn’t set in. The drumming is the only thing that tends to be a little monotonous throughout the song, but there are lots of times where they take a pause and dark, plodding chugs seem to swallow listeners whole. It is unnerving and still very head-bangable at the same time. The title track is a very nice example of this.

Vocally, the band still tends to focus on the guttural, vomited growl that newcomers to death metal or slam death in general may find a bit unsettling. Like the music itself, Disentomb just go for being as crushing as possible on all sides. With the production’s help they are a bit clearer compared to the past but really help build on the brutal atmosphere of the whole album. They tend to be a little limited in range- switching between the thick bellow to somewhat higher pitched pig squeals (but not over using them as many listeners tend to find this style annoying), but that tends to be the trademark sound of the genre. They work though to the music’s advantage, losing their murky choke in the past and really making their presence known along with the rest of the instruments. On 'The Great Abandonment' the band uses their slower churning guitars and vocals to excellent effect. The drums are on full speed in the background but the vocals and guitar melodies just seem to hold the listener down while being pummeled by the sound. It isn’t a bad thing because it achieves the right level of brutality without feeling monotonous or boring.

It would have been nice to see a little more variety in experimentation on "The Decaying Light" from Disentomb, but this is a step in the right direction. The album closer ‘Withering’ is a very different take for the listener due to soft acoustic guitar, despite the repetitive chords, and serves as some nice breathing room after the sheer assault of the previous tracks. More of that kind of stuff added throughout the album would have only made this better. The only major flaw to this album would have to be that, aside from the song lengths, the lack of variety between the tracks tends to make them feel like they all run together, so it can be hard to tell when 'Dredged Into Existence' starts and 'Rebirth Through Excoriation' ends.

Thankfully there are other tracks like 'Invocation In The Cathedral Of Dust' that open with those awesome vocals and just doom their way through with the chugging guitars. It is a nice change of pace compared to many of the other tracks on the album without making it feel like an unnecessary filler piece or interlude. Also, as said before, the bass tends to shine much better on the slower tracks. Ultimately, if one is a fan of churning death metal that is a bit more on the disturbing side, "The Decaying Light" is worth checking out. Lyrically, the album is as dark and dismal as the instrumentation so get ready to delve into some pretty heavy stuff. Not quite suicide worthy but a trip into really looking to broaden how much crushing one’s ears can take. Disentomb haven’t quite hit perfection yet, but "The Decaying Light" is definitely the best album the band has released so far.

4 / 5 STARS 

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1. Collapsing Skies
2. Your Prayers Echo Into Nothingness
3. Indecipherable Sermons Of Gloom
4. Undying Dysphoria
5. Centuries Of Deluge
6. The Decaying Light
7. The Great Abandonment
8. Dredged Into Existence
9. The Droning Monolith
10. Dismal Liturgies
11. Invocation In The Cathedral Of Dust
12. Rebirth Through Excoriation
13. Withering