Disso-Daddy’s June Deluge
Father’s Day may have come and passed already for those of us in the US, but that doesn’t mean your Disso Daddy in Chief has forgotten all of you! Come sit on Papa’s lap as we regale over these tasty morsels of the dissonant variety. Remember, it’s only creepy if you make it that way.
Crown of Madness – Memories Fragmented (February 28)
Is Ulcerate a band you want to like, but the level of chaotic dissonance is a little too much for your tastes? Well, have I got a band for you to try out in the form of Canadian duo Crown of Madness. Do not let that deathcore-esque logo fool you, friend, as Memories Fragmented can best be described as sad-boi Ulcerate. Now, I say this not as a derogatory statement, but one of praise. Even I occasionally find myself wanting the density and harshness toned back a bit after listening to constant barrages of heaviness. Within these tracks lie compositions and performances that sit comfortably between impenetrable noise and melancholic movements. Catchy, but still remarkably heavy, these tracks will capture your attention, as well as your emotions, as you traverse through its runtime. Also, front-woman Sunshine Schneider makes her talents known with her deft playing of all guitar, bass, and vocals for the album apart from a singular guest spot from Ben Towels of Greylotus. Definitely spin if you even remotely enjoyed last year’s Devenial Verdict.
Sum Lights – Dissolve | Emerge (March 12)
Only two tracks in length, but clocking in at nearly 24 minutes, this EP from this German group attempts to combine a slew of styles in their craft. I am sad to say, however, that yet again, I find myself spending more funds on music and constantly returning to releases such as this. Black, death, and doom intertwine to have you bobbing your head one moment then wallowing in bleak misery the next. Dissolve | Emerge is an impressive amalgamation of pretty much every style I enjoy. Fast and slow, heavy and engaging, dark and even more dark—the perfect combinations. Rising and falling repeatedly, Sum Lights are confident in their ability to craft long, complex, and thrilling pieces of darkly epic sonic offerings that allow ample opportunity to peel back each section, and I shall continue to return until my body cannot any longer.
Pillars of Cacophony – Paralipomena (March 28)
And now something on the complete opposite end of the dissonant spectrum. If you find yourself unfamiliar with Pillars of Cacophony as I previously was, then you are likely in for a killer treat. A solo project helmed by Dominik Bulfon out of Austria, Paralipomena is a melting pot of tech, brutal, and dissonance that constantly shifts and challenges the listener. Acts such as this of course exist throughout the extreme metal landscape, but here it is presented with a twist. Dominik is himself a scientist working in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology. Getting pummeled while learning something is always a pleasant yet disturbing experience and this delivers both. I will gladly take this form of tech death over any constant noodling and sweeping any day.
Atrate – Beyond Depth. Beyond Thought. Beyond Self (April 25)
And now back to our regular scheduled programming. Following that brief foray into tech death, we now find ourselves returning to the tried and trve black metal varietal. A duo with one member from Romania and the other, Portugal, Atrate focus their combined talents in crafting the most hectic and devastating music that is likely to be discovered in this niche subgenre. Taking influence from the likes of a certain sketchy French band that play a similar style, but without their own controversies, Beyond Depth. Beyond Thought. Beyond Self is a journey through near-complete darkness as sonic manifestations of unknowable horrors beset you. If that isn’t enough to sell you, then perhaps one of the members being Sergio Ramos from Disso article veterans Ethereal Wound will get you to push play. Both engaging and impregnable—just the way this style should be.
Aoecist – With a Whimper (April 18)
Microtonal metal is a tricky beast. Making your music specifically to be simultaneously limited in its execution yet engaging enough to actually have people want to listen to it is no simple task. Well, my friends, Aoecist is a new contender in this field with the impressive EP With a Whimper. Another solo project, but this time from a mysterious entity only known as The Cynic pulling all duties, including the recording, mixing, and mastering. If you are some sort of pervert sadist like me—musically speaking—then here is a grand appetizer for what is hopefully more to come. Bleak soundscapes crafted with deranged performances and punishing production make this all the more tasty, or putrid depending on your own specific tastes. If the innumerable Jute Gyte releases aren’t enough for you, then you will very likely find yourself diving head first into this.
Patristic – Catechesis (June 20)
And now for the closer, and boy-oh-boy, do I have something for you. If you know anything about my personal tastes in dissonant black metal, then you likely realize that acts such as Sinmara, Svartidauði, and Dodecahedron are what I consider to be the pinnacle. Well, now a new contender has made themselves known in an extremely impressive fashion. Being the debut album from this outfit hailing from Rome, Italy, Patristic play the perfect fusion of black and death with a heavy dose of dissonance that makes it impossible for me not to laud over it. Every year seems to contain a minimum of one extremely well-written, performed, and produced record that breaks through the crowded space of bands fighting for recognition in the constraints of atonal madness. Last year was LVME and the previous was Voidescent, so if you are familiar with these acts, you will have a firm understanding of what is in store.
The music on Catechesis is not necessarily the most daring or unique (what is these days?), but the songwriting and execution are simply phenomenal. Moments of head-bobbing riffage give way to indescribable madness in the next. Near-tangible darkness blends with an emotionality dearly missing from the vast majority of releases such as this. This album may only be a couple of weeks old, but I simply cannot bring myself to go a full day without listening to it since it released. If you require one final bit of bait to lure you in, Patristic is the side project of Enrico Schettino from Hideous Divinity. Now if all that does not sell you, then you, my friend, are a lost soul indeed.
