I first heard of the Disentomb a couple of years ago with their older work doing rounds on the internet. I absolutely mind blown by the band’s aesthetic that had an appealing brutal gut-wrenching sound. So, when the band announced their newest release ‘The Decaying Light’, I was super stoked to listen to this album. First off, the band has really matured in their sound and in their aesthetic. The pacing of the music, not in the sense of the speed or tempo, but as perception (for the lack of a better word) is super intense on the band’s newest offering. At this point, neither brutality nor speed was for the sake of itself. Everything sounded so complete in itself.
The album opens with “Collapsing Skies”- a massive wall of sound that sets the mood for rest of the album. A short song but it sure gets the job done. Onward to “Your Prayers Echo into Nothingness”. The band picks up the tempo here and its clear that the time to get crushing is finally upon us. The deep vocals, the sweet bass, gnarly guitars and thundering drums all come together to set some impressive standards for the genre. “Indecipherable Sermons of Gloom” consolidates the band’s sound at this point. The breaks in the music add a ton of intensity to the overall vibes of the song. Not to mention, it is impossible to not fall in love with the sound of the snare on this album. Very neat stuff! The chugging gets more serious with “Undying Dysphoria”. Fast double bass lines, nasty chugs and the works make you want to make that face when you listen to something slammin’.
“Centuries of Deluge” is filled with tasty riff work. Everything about this song works really well with each other. The band’s songwriting prowess has come a long way. The title track, “The Decaying Light” is also full of tasteful and delightful riffs. The groove rich nuances of this song are subtly masked by all the heaviness in the music. A real treat for any brutal and extreme metal fans. The trip continues with “Dredged into Existence” and “The Droning Monolith”. These two songs open up to a little bit of melody ever so slightly. This effectively adds a lot of color to the music. One interesting thing about the band’s sound off the latest album is the use of riff rich and heavy sections to create a very airy yet deep atmosphere. The experience is gripping and does not choke even in the most intense moments of the album. This is apparent on the tracks “Dismal Liturgies” and “Invocation In The Cathedral of Dust”. While the instrumental sections create tension, the subtle melody and the higher registers on the bass break lose this tension. Fun stuff! “Rebirth Through Excoriation” is the last heavy song off this swell record. This is an enjoyable track by all means and this song ends really, really well. The album signs off on a light note with “Withering”- a song very far from what the album sounded so far. This song closes the album with a lovely acoustic guitar arrangement. This is a little unconventional I suppose but it seemed to fit the album.
‘The Decaying Light’ by the extreme metal lads Disentomb is an enjoyable listen. For starters, if you are looking for a really good riff rich chugging session, this album has it all. If you want to immerse yourself in a world of extreme metal that creates its own atmosphere with a few treasures in its nuances, Disentomb is for you. Top tier production and sound coupled with a strong musical vision has no doubt played itself well in the guise of the album ‘The Decaying Light’. There is definitely a niche for this album. This is exactly what creates the appeal for this album and maybe by extension the genre itself.