Formed in Utrecht back in 2008, Dutch melodic thrash metal five piece Disquiet have caused quite a stir. With their debut album “Scars Of Undying Grief”, they had a fairly successful 2013 with regards to touring, sharing the stage with the likes of Canadian legends Annihilator and a slot at Wacken Open Air to name just two highlights. Now, three years on, the group who fuse elements of European Melodic Metal with Bay Area Thrash are back again with their follow up – The Condemnation. Let’s see if it is as damning as its name suggests.
“Ascending” is a fitting name for an opening track as it can be taken to imply things are looking up or going to take off from here, and with a blast of machine-gun like bursts of drums, bass and guitars to a steady pace, accompanied by a brief lead melody, you can see it does. With riffs delivered in a similar style to The Haunted and some real ferocious vocals to match the delivery, Disquiet get things off to a flying start. Full speed ahead, relentless and uncompromising, it’s heavy as hell with a massive groove behind it, something you want from Thrash metal and this does not disappoint in the slightest. Thrash and Death Metal riffery forms the spine of the track and the melodic soloing, reminiscent of the Scandinavian melodic death metal scene really caps it off, giving a real huge sound and big feel for the album.
The following tracks are no different. Title track, “The Condemnation” has an 80’s thrash feel to it, perfect for furious windmill headbanging along to and it consists of tight and precisely delivered verses, punctuated by a heavy and memorable chorus which has a real hook laden riff and some impressive vocals. Shifting in and out of breakdown feel sections, going from heavy riff to rapid fire licks in the solo, it hits the spot and keeps the momentum going. “Fist Of Persistence” has some delightful harmony riffs and real pounding, heavy death metal grooves which range from furious blastbeats to chaotic and sinister.
From here, it pretty much follows in the same vein, a venomous, high impact tactical warhead with a payload of thrash and death metal ready to destroy everything in its wake. With slightly longer and darker tracks like “The Great Divide”, a harrowing look at war and “Tear Down The Tree Of Life” there are signs of complex construction to the tracks and intricate passages which seem to blend together with little fuss whilst “From Essence Deprived” sounds like something from the back catalogue of Dark Tranquillity and by the final riffs of closing epic “Bred To Fail”, you’ll be a fool not to stick this album on repeat.
Disquiet have released a gem of a thrash album here. It caters to the traditional thrashers and those who like their thrash bordering on the realms of death metal and melodic metal. Sometimes the complexity and layers can get a little confusing at times, but this confusion and the chaotic scene it paints in your mind as you listen works just as well as the music does. In all, get this album, get some beers and get your thrash on!
(8/10 Fraggle)
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