Dismal Faith - Morph
Being from an area in the US where every metal show is matched by a hardcore show means I encounter the deathcore/grindcore/metalcore scenes pretty often. So finding a band from Italy in this genre was something new for me. I hadn’t heard of Dismal Faith before getting Morph, their first full-length album, so I went in with fresh ears and an open mind. Given deathcore’s reputation of being “the most hated metal genre” and so many bands rejecting that label when it’s put on them, I wanted to make sure to give them a fair shot.
That being said, musically they’re pretty solid. They have all the elements you would expect from a deathcore band. Majority of the album is made up of a metal vocal style with the quintessential hardcore breakdown mid to late in the song. They mix some calmer, melodic parts into some of their tracks, like in Serenity, which is a pleasant break during the album. In other tracks, like Just a Bitch, they keep it low and heavy with a delicate guitar line over it, or keep the guitar heavy and the vocals light like in Not for Me. Switching it up from time to time is something really nice and matches well with the low heavy style that’s used most of the time. It’s moments like those on the album that show Dismal Faith has more to offer than a generic deathcore band.
Lyrically you aren’t looking at anything revolutionary with this album. For some reason a lot of deathcore bands are compelled to sing about relationships, or a lack thereof, and being an emotional wreck. Dismal Faith is no different. There are lines such as “my heart is bleeding...I’ve lost my way” and “I can’t forget her smell” (two different tracks by the way) which is very much in the same vein as bands like Emmure where almost everything is about an ex girlfriend. There is a track on Morph called “Just a Bitch,” so there’s that too.
If you subscribe to the “deathcore is the worst genre” mentality then I probably wouldn’t recommend this album because you’ve already made up your mind before you’ve even heard it. If you’re into deathcore, or willing to give any album a fair shot regardless of genre, I’d say try it out. Dismal Faith definitely has something to offer, they switch it up during the album and sometimes it takes you by surprise. More than once I’d be listening and think “Hey what track is this? That was a pretty cool guitar line.” or “That was a nice shift in vocals.” They aren’t challenging what the genre is, but they are having fun with it, and making some solid music.
That being said, musically they’re pretty solid. They have all the elements you would expect from a deathcore band. Majority of the album is made up of a metal vocal style with the quintessential hardcore breakdown mid to late in the song. They mix some calmer, melodic parts into some of their tracks, like in Serenity, which is a pleasant break during the album. In other tracks, like Just a Bitch, they keep it low and heavy with a delicate guitar line over it, or keep the guitar heavy and the vocals light like in Not for Me. Switching it up from time to time is something really nice and matches well with the low heavy style that’s used most of the time. It’s moments like those on the album that show Dismal Faith has more to offer than a generic deathcore band.
Lyrically you aren’t looking at anything revolutionary with this album. For some reason a lot of deathcore bands are compelled to sing about relationships, or a lack thereof, and being an emotional wreck. Dismal Faith is no different. There are lines such as “my heart is bleeding...I’ve lost my way” and “I can’t forget her smell” (two different tracks by the way) which is very much in the same vein as bands like Emmure where almost everything is about an ex girlfriend. There is a track on Morph called “Just a Bitch,” so there’s that too.
If you subscribe to the “deathcore is the worst genre” mentality then I probably wouldn’t recommend this album because you’ve already made up your mind before you’ve even heard it. If you’re into deathcore, or willing to give any album a fair shot regardless of genre, I’d say try it out. Dismal Faith definitely has something to offer, they switch it up during the album and sometimes it takes you by surprise. More than once I’d be listening and think “Hey what track is this? That was a pretty cool guitar line.” or “That was a nice shift in vocals.” They aren’t challenging what the genre is, but they are having fun with it, and making some solid music.
- Rip Out
- Not For Me
- M.G.S.F.
- Skizotypal
- Just A Bitch
- Serenity
- Tears
- After The Earthquake
- Fallen
Label: http://www.nadirmusic.net
Reviewer: Vee Hight
Jul 22, 2013
Jul 22, 2013
Next review:
Fir Bolg - Towards Ancestral Lands
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