Disso Daddy Diaries Vol. 1
I, your resident Disso Daddy In Chief, shall never be derelict in my doodies to decipher and distribute the dark, dank, and disparate. Decisively I demand the deadliest, drippiest, and most demeaning drops of deplorable deftness designed to deafen and devour. Dope?
Altarage – Cogwheel (July 31)
Crushing, impenetrable, unforgiving. If you have yet to experience the Spanish project Altarage, then be forewarned. Here is no stereotypical dissonant death metal as these weirdos rely heavily on unrelenting levels of distortion and song structures challenging the very term “music.” Well, after some time away, they have returned with a 75-minute opus in suffocating atmosphere. Cogwheel sees a change for the band as it possesses and maintains heavy use of doom and atmosphere, along with the inclusion of clean vocals that haunt as much as hearten. Previous comparisons to other similar groups such as Portal are unavoidable, but now we are seeing Altarage craft their own unique brand of horrifying metal that is a nightmare all their own.
Nothingness – Godslaughter (July 31)
Let us flip the proverbial dissonance coin to catch a glimpse from another perspective, something more akin to Morbid Angel mixed with Teeth than a psych ward soundtrack. Minnesota’s Nothingness return to challenge all others with their infectious combining of dissonant death metal and booty-shaking riff barrages. Skipping no beats since their 2023 banger Supraliminal, these gents bring an energy and ferociousness that always pulls a grin out of me. Don’t trust me? Just listen to the first riff from the opening track “Incinerated Immediately” and I dare you to have the audacity to not crack a slimy smile. When death metal is this fun and tight, enjoying it becomes such an effortless task.
Acausal Intrusion – Vomit Meditations (September 4)
Now let us pause for a minute to gather ourselves before continuing our trek. Acting as a cautionary guide, allow me to next present something that even I have issues listening to. What I mean is that the band’s previous material, which I am no expert on, is a tough hang. Demonstrably dense, this US duo is what you get with the freeform nature of something like Igorr crossed with Ulcerate as each track feels like a journey unto itself. Why color in the lines when no lines exist to begin with? With their 4th album Vomit Meditations, we are given a glimpse into an expanding soundscape that resonates closer to my core, but that doesn’t mean the experimentation and uniqueness are diminished. In fact, just the single available track for the new album has me wanting to dive into their previous material again with haste.
Venomous Echoes – Ŋvęŧş: Violator Of Mater (September 4)
You thought you were going to get off easy with just one I, Voidhanger release? Back for another jaunt in these disso compilation articles, Ohio one-man entity Venomous Echoes returns, following the criminally overlooked release from last year, Dysmor. If you are one of the filthy few who revel in writhing in sonic mud baths of atonality and noise experimentation, along with pummeling riffs and echoing howls wretched from some netherworld, then dive right in, my friend. Along with the dissonant happenings are synth lines interjected to help break the wall of sound that besets you, but their inclusion both grounds the listener and elevates the consciousness with its progressive qualities. If you dig the work of Veilburner and Sleep Paralysis, Stephen Knapp himself produces, performs guest vocals, and does part of the programming for this release. Just pile on more reasons for me to like this, why don’t you?
Veilburner – All That Glitters Is Gloam (October 16)
Speak of the Veilburner and he shall appear! A new year brings with it the wretched works of these demented Pennsylvanians and of course it doesn’t disappoint. You should by now have a strong sense of what this band brings—it is their 9th album, after all. In fact, why are you even reading this? You’re going to listen to this and enjoy it, so go ahead and do just that already.
