Dis(so)cordant Offerings
I am not sure as to why there seems to have been a significantly larger number of killer dissonant releases that have grasped my attention this year than in others prior. Perhaps it is choosing to start writing these little articles concerning these types of metal releases. Or perhaps all of the bands and labels have wised up and finally decided to do the financially smart move of releasing more extreme, dissonant, and hard to digest metal offerings. I bet they are all swimming in their pools filled with gold coins as we speak.
Defacement – Duality (July 26)
Those beautiful chaps over at Total Dissonance Worship have gone ahead and graced us with yet another stellar release, this time from The Netherlands-based Defacement. Mixing a dense recipe of black and death, as well as electronic components for interludes, Duality is simultaneously harrowing and majestic. Walls of noise are found paired with intricate and near delicate drumming shifting between standard brutal passages and atmospheric intensity. Ugliness and beauty are smashed together where instead of a separation like oil and vinegar, we get something closer to chocolate and peanut butter. Each full track is a wild journey of ideas and surprises that never lets your attention slip, despite some longer track run times.
The album’s second track “Burden” is a masterclass in how to include varying styles and ideas in a captivating, yet still oppressive package. Adding ideas such as jazz-tinged drumming, soaring guitars, and paint-peeling vocal howls has had me hooked on repeated listens in an attempt to digest everything thoroughly. If you enjoy acts like Qrixkuor and Aseitas, you will probably be intrigued by the work that Defacement have in store as well. Also, with album art that killer, how could it not at least tickle your interest even a smidgen?
ANGR – III (August 25)
Pretty much out of nowhere, this mysterious little dissonant black metal act from Belarus/Russia popped up in my feed and I was immediately intrigued. First off, you want to catch my attention, showing me a stunning album cover such as the one for III certainly gets you put on the ol’ wishlist just for curiosity sake. Next, if you make black metal that is dissonant, you’ll also pique my interest. Then make that black metal sound like what Misotheist should have released this year and you have officially made the cut for one of my esteemed and coveted articles.
Get ready for a straightforward bombardment of cold, dense, and punishing black metal that has become a token of Eastern European groups. Is ANGR treading any new ground here? No, but that doesn’t really matter when the resulting music is performed this well and maintains the intensity throughout. Three tracks and 30 minutes later, I have been converted into a fan with the pairing of icy passages, unrelenting blasts, and intriguing moments of “relief” such as in the second track “In the Pale Sorrow of the Blood Moon.” Tight and brutal blasts with chilling guitar lines give way to an almost uplifting guitar harmony at the 3:15 mark. Each track has little sprinklings of such aspects to never remain one-dimensional or stale. Additional points for being a two-man group with just a vocalist and a multi-instrumentalist.
Pyrrhon – Exhaust (September 6)
Oh man, what a pleasant surprise to wake up to. 4 years have passed since the release of Abscess Time and now New York disso-death stalwarts Pyrrhon have surprise-dropped their new album to seemingly no previous announcement. If you are one who is unfamiliar with this group, then you are in for a nasty treat. Dense and chaotic doesn’t even begin to describe the intensity this quartet creates when they come together to make what can only approximately be described as music. Hectic, jarring, and near incomprehensible at times, Exhaust is more akin to being run over by a subway car than just a sit-down listening experience.
Though it is jam-packed with ferocious and mind-melting aspects, there always exists enough of an anchor musically to not push you completely over the edge. Opening track “No Going to Mars” delivers on these ideas by striking you with enough visceral noises that can almost be called music and hops back and forth between blasts, guitar squeals, and rabid vocals to strip both flesh and sanity. If you were not a fan of this group’s previous works, I highly doubt this will act as your conversion, but there is plenty here to delve into with each punishing listen. Welcome back, especially to the undisputed sexiest man in metal.
Vafurlogi – Í vökulli áþján (September 13)
Now here is an upcoming release that has caught me completely off-guard. If you are like me and find yourself wondering where the hell Sinmara has been as well as lamenting the breakup of Svartidauði, then I have amazing news for you. Guitarist for both groups, Þórir Garðarsson, has seemingly come out of nowhere with his new project Vafurlogi to remind us all of his prowess. All I should have to say is dissonant Icelandic black metal and you should already have an idea in your head of what is in store. Abrasive yet melodic, with plenty of guitar trickery that will have you scratching your head trying to figure out exactly how this is played. Relaying feelings of introspection through mid-paced blasts and mind-melting guitar melodies make me certain that the spirit of the Icelandic black metal scene is continuing forward in ever-impressive ways.
Though there are currently only two tracks available, I hold no reservations in declaring Í vökulli áþján a fine and worthy successor to their fellow brethren. I may be biased, seeing as Sinmara resides as one of my all-time favorite bands, but I don’t care. The announcement for this album has made this giant Swedish killing machine giddy as a child going to get ice cream. Seriously, I have listened to the available tracks several times already and I could not be more stoked for what is to come when the full thing releases. My body is prepared.
