Release : And So It Came To Pass
Artist: Dyscarnate
Release Date: February 10th
Horsham based metallers Dyscarnate are re-releasing this, their sophomore album, to a wider international audience after a label merger with Century Media. But how has it fared after two years since its initial release?
One things for sure, it is still absolutely remorseless. You will struggle to catch your breath at any time over the course of the ten tracks on offer. The pace is furious, with clattering drums and chugging guitar throughout.
What Dyscarnate do very well is to capture the inherent deep, underlying groove that good death metal is all about. ‘A Drone In The Hive’, ‘Rise And Fall’ and ‘In The Face Of Armageddon’ are all prime examples of this, with all the instruments locking in to really bring out the undercurrent of groove that will have you headbanging along. Their sound is incredibly rhythmic, with a lot of palm muted guitars and drum fills, and it’s the drums that are the showpiece of the record. Despite sounding too consistent to not be triggered, Matt Unsworth’s drumming is fluid and furious, his frequent and dizzying blastbeats and consistently innovative double bass pedal work make him the powerhouse of the trio. His performance is so good you can’t pick out a single track where he stands head and shoulders above the album as a whole.
Due to the rhythmic leaning of the band, there’s less room for Bassist Henry Bates and Guitarist Tom Whitty to stand out so much, in the way of soloing or fills at least, but they both provide tight and interesting riffage. Their shared vocal duties are well executed, with some especially nice layering on ‘Rise and Fall’ and ‘A Drone In The Hive’.
The production is well done, if a little on the loud side. Guitar, drums and vocals are all distinguishable, but the bass is a little more sidelined. Effects are scantly used, not overpoweringly employed like some of Dyscarnate’s contemporaries. However, as competently executed as this album is, it doesn’t reinvent the wheel. The band don’t do much to stand over other acts like Trigger The Bloodshed or The Black Dahlia Murder. Here’s hoping that with the label merger and a little more time, a future release will see them capitalise on their current strengths and push themselves further.
6/10
Reviewer: Jay Hampshire
