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Diskord - Dystopics review




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Reviewer:
N/A

21 users:
7.29
Band: Diskord
Album: Dystopics
Style: Progressive death metal, Technical death metal
Release date: April 2012


01. Entropic Death
02. Overseer
03. Epochal
04. Tremble
05. Woebegoneness
06. Ambisinistral
07. Psychotic Process
08. As The Circus Leaves The Galaxy
09. Rambling Words From A Sore Throat
10. Metamorphosis
11. Godsends And Hellbents
12. Primitive Doom

Genuine unique death metal: now there's a rarity. Much like the torment of Tantalus that which is heralded as innovative typically turns out to be typical, and continually out of reach of expectations. Those that proffer such "gems" usually adopt the form of egregious exaggerators, the fruit of their offerings usually bearing little more than banal, overproduced death metal standard with only a cosmetic melding of keyboards and unnecessary, wasteful technicality. True unique death metal defines itself at the core, morphing its form inexplicably. Norway's Diskord seem to be emphatically aware of this. They're devoid of the usual tacked on weirdness abound in other bands. No babies crying at the end of tracks, no electronic interference, none o' that wank. Diskord are discord incarnate.

Imagine, if you will, the bastard offspring of the backwards anti-riffs of Nespithe, the crushing edge of Obscura (the album of course, not the band) the cavorting peculiarity of Pod vládou biče and Disharmonization and the avant-garde perplexities of Ved Buens Ende and Virus. That might take you halfway there. Name dropping aside, a closed textural analysis of the structures and sounds would be of academic proportions and one that I'm unwilling and unable to undertake, but suffice to say the guitar tone is hearty but with strong regard for that which surrounds it, so much so the bass is free to travel where it pleases in wonderful "unf"-inducing interplay, occasionally rising to the surface in true Atheist style, intensifying the almost free-form jazz tendencies of Dystopics to its true potential.

Death metal is really only a component here. The transition from the blasting to the galloping to the downright unpredictable is seamless, delicious and satisfying. Structures and techniques appear almost ad hoc; when one has passed it's unlikely to be seen again, driven by drumming that can only be guessed at on a vague level. The vocal accompaniment, as you might expect, is equally varied yet similarly themed. The stabbing, gruff rasps puncture the dissonance in a variety of monotones as well as morphing itself into cavernous growls in accordance with the occasional slower, doomy lull in a fitting display of dynamism. Another of the most pleasing aspects is the delightfully old-school production values its been afforded. Mucky wouldn't be an inappropriate word to use here. A completely organic experience that doesn't hide behind spit and polish. It's difficult to overstate the effect a considered production job can have on music such as this and as it stands this could be taken right out of the early '90s.

This is quite simply a technical and curious marvel. Much like the human relationship, when one seeks it out you'll likely find sod all. Only when you stop looking does this kind of music make itself aware. Progressive-cum-avant-garde death metal music that might only appeal to a scant audience but that audience is in for something special.

Then Diskord looked over all they had made, and behold, it was weird.

Weird is good. And this is fucking weird.

Written by | 10.05.2012




Comments

Comments: 41   Visited by: 210 users
10.05.2012 - 19:28
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Well I suppose I don't have any reason not to check this out. :/
----
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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10.05.2012 - 19:29
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Troy Killjoy on 10.05.2012 at 19:28

Well I suppose I don't have any reason not to check this out. :/

Unless your ears have vacated the sides of your head, otherwise, no.
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10.05.2012 - 19:48
Unhealer
Eclecticist
Well, that track "Overseer" was outstanding. I really liked how they use the bass, not sure if fretless or high on effects.
I guess it deserves a try.
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10.05.2012 - 19:50
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Unhealer on 10.05.2012 at 19:48

Well, that track "Overseer" was outstanding. I really liked how they use the bass, not sure if fretless or high on effects.
I guess it deserves a try.

The two tracks available on Youtube are amongst the slower of the album, not the tracks I would have chosen as previews. Some of the other tracks really show how the band come alive.
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10.05.2012 - 20:07
Edmund Fogg

Hmm. I'll check this out when I get the chance
----
You cannot sedate all the things you hate - MM
The Observer is the source of reality - Bloom
God damn it!! What did Diddy didn't do? - Satan
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10.05.2012 - 20:46
Rating: 8
Alex F
Slick Dick Rick
Well, you've grabbed my attention, i'll check this out as soon as i can find it
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10.05.2012 - 20:49
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Both their albums are on Spotify for those that have it
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10.05.2012 - 21:40
Rating: 8
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
Written by Guest on 10.05.2012 at 20:49

Spotify


Fuck you -.-
----
14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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10.05.2012 - 21:41
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Boxcar Willy on 10.05.2012 at 21:40


Fuck you -.-

It's coz you live in a third world country.
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10.05.2012 - 21:45
Rating: 8
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
Written by Guest on 10.05.2012 at 21:41

Written by Boxcar Willy on 10.05.2012 at 21:40


Fuck you -.-

It's coz you live in a third world country.

Seriously though, you're playlists pop up in my FB ticker, and I REALLY want hear dat shit.
>.>
----
14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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10.05.2012 - 21:48
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Boxcar Willy on 10.05.2012 at 21:45

Seriously though, you're playlists pop up in my FB ticker, and I REALLY want hear dat shit.
>.>

I enjoy taunting you.
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10.05.2012 - 21:49
Rating: 8
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
Written by Guest on 10.05.2012 at 21:48

Written by Boxcar Willy on 10.05.2012 at 21:45

Seriously though, you're playlists pop up in my FB ticker, and I REALLY want hear dat shit.
>.>

I enjoy taunting you.

I enjoy your taunts.
----
14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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11.05.2012 - 00:57
Rating: 7
Dangerboner
Lactation Cnslt
Glad to see these guys get some attention. I'm still waiting for it to come in the mail >:O
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11.05.2012 - 00:58
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Dangerboner on 11.05.2012 at 00:57

Glad to see these guys get some attention. I'm still waiting for it to come in the mail >:O

Well hope you get it soon. If you liked the debut album you'll like this, they're both very similar.
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11.05.2012 - 01:50
Fredd
Account deleted
Written by Boxcar Willy on 10.05.2012 at 21:45

Seriously though, you're playlists pop up in my FB ticker

Yep. You're a heavy listener, Joe
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11.05.2012 - 02:38
JD
Account deleted
Written by Guest on 10.05.2012 at 21:41

Written by Boxcar Willy on 10.05.2012 at 21:40

Fuck you -.-

It's coz you live in a third world country.

Made my day
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11.05.2012 - 02:41
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Guest on 11.05.2012 at 02:38

Made my day

Call it payment for the non-alcoholic beer joke...
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11.05.2012 - 06:15
Rating: 8
Chobo_jokeR

If Intronaut played death (this in reference to the leading bass)... interesting sound. Good review, I'm digging the music.
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11.05.2012 - 10:46
Maxx666
Meshuggahian
Written by Chobo_jokeR on 11.05.2012 at 06:15

If Intronaut played death (this in reference to the leading bass)... interesting sound. Good review, I'm digging the music.

exactly my thoughts on this album.... but i think its more progressive
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11.05.2012 - 12:53
Daniell
_爱情_
You can't call Asphyx derivative. They were part of the first "wave" of death metal so to speak. It's like calling Black Sabbath a derivative doom band.
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11.05.2012 - 13:05
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Daniell on 11.05.2012 at 12:53

You can't call Asphyx derivative. They were part of the first "wave" of death metal so to speak. It's like calling Black Sabbath a derivative doom band.

Rehashing music you did decades ago = derivative. I don't understand why people continually fail to understand this. Just because you were amongst the first to do it doesn't give you a free pass to remake the same music over and over and be exempt from "derivative" status. Saint Vitus' recent album is shamelessly derivative of its own early music, because they are deriving their new sounds directly from their old sound with no deviation whatsoever.

Here, I'm just going to copy and paste the appropriate parts of the first entry from Thesaurus.com because these conversations with fans who can't accept the truth are tiresome and cyclical

Derivative
Definition: transmitted from source
Synonyms: ancestral, coming from, hereditary, not original, rehashed, secondary, subordinate, uninventive, unoriginal
Antonyms: inventive, original, unique (or: the very definition of what Asphyx aren't)
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11.05.2012 - 13:09
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
I do find it weird that you pick on Asphyx when it's far more understandable to pick on the revivalist bands (not to mention that I thought you liked Asphyx latest).

Also... with the crying babies part... You meant !T.O.O.H.! ? Needless to say I dig this stuff. Won't even bother to check more songs out, just flat out buy them asap.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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11.05.2012 - 13:12
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by X-Ray Rod on 11.05.2012 at 13:09

I do find it weird that you pick on Asphyx when it's far more understandable to pick on the revivalist bands (not to mention that I thought you liked Asphyx latest).

Also... with the crying babies part... You meant !T.O.O.H.! ? Needless to say I dig this stuff. Won't even bother to check more songs out, just flat out buy them asap.

I used Asphyx because it's something everyone knows and likes at this point. I do think it's decent, but I also think it's derivative, the two can co-exist but doesn't stop something from being derivative because it's decent. People need to stop thinking the word derivative was designed purely for metal bands.

Synonyms from the Free Dictionary: unoriginal, copied, second-hand, rehashed, imitative, plagiarized, uninventive, plagiaristic
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11.05.2012 - 13:16
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Guest on 11.05.2012 at 13:12
Synonyms from the Freed Dictionary: unoriginal, copied, second-hand, rehashed, imitative, plagiarized, uninventive, plagiaristic


Out of those words I personally wouldn't use copied. I reserve that word for those that copy other bands, not themselves and Asphyx has always had their own sound so.... But I can definitely go with words like unoriginal and the likes.

Also, you didn't answer my question about crying babies
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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11.05.2012 - 13:19
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by X-Ray Rod on 11.05.2012 at 13:16


Out of those words I personally wouldn't use copied. I reserve that word for those that copy other bands, not themselves and Asphyx has always had their own sound so.... But I can definitely go with words like unoriginal and the likes.

Also, you didn't answer my question about crying babies

Very well, I retract that particular use of the underline, but the others stand and apply to Asphyx (though imitative also means copy in a sense)

Babies crying, shit I've heard that done on so many records but the only one that actually springs to mind is on an Igorrr song. I love Igorrr but having babies booing on a song is definitely an over done thing when you want to be weird (despite the fact I can only remember the one track). I think Cathedral might have done it on their last album too....
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11.05.2012 - 13:24
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Guest on 11.05.2012 at 13:19

Babies crying, shit I've heard that done on so many records but the only one that actually springs to mind is on an Igorrr song. I love Igorrr but having babies booing on a song is definitely an over done thing when you want to be weird (despite the fact I can only remember the one track). I think Cathedral might have done it on their last album too....


Hhahaha well, the only one that I remember from the top of my head is the beginning of !T.O.O.H.!'s Rad a Trest. And I dig that scream with the monstrous growl right before. I knew I was for a ride at that point.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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11.05.2012 - 13:26
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by X-Ray Rod on 11.05.2012 at 13:24


Hhahaha well, the only one that I remember from the top of my head is the beginning of !T.O.O.H.!'s Rad a Trest. And I dig that scream with the monstrous growl right before. I knew I was for a ride at that point.

Yeah I liked that bit too, also the sudden sheep at the of the song too.
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11.05.2012 - 14:41
Daniell
_爱情_
Written by Guest on 11.05.2012 at 13:05

Here, I'm just going to copy and paste the appropriate parts of the first entry from Thesaurus.com because these conversations with fans who can't accept the truth are tiresome and cyclical

Derivative
Definition: transmitted from source
Synonyms: ancestral, coming from, hereditary, not original, rehashed, secondary, subordinate, uninventive, unoriginal
Antonyms: inventive, original, unique (or: the very definition of what Asphyx aren't)


I know exactly what this word means, I just happen to disagree with your use of it in this discussion. If a band plays the same music for 30 years, they aren't derivative, they are stagnant. But hey, to each his own

By the way, I have 37 different dictionaries and theasuruses at home, not to mention the access to all online sources, so there is no need to quote them here
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11.05.2012 - 14:52
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Daniell on 11.05.2012 at 14:41


I know exactly what this word means, I just happen to disagree with your use of it in this discussion. If a band plays the same music for 30 years, they aren't derivative, they are stagnant. But hey, to each his own

By the way, I have 37 different dictionaries and theasuruses at home, not to mention the access to all online sources, so there is no need to quote them here

I think it's been proven that my use was perfectly valid, and relevant, so it's really not "to each his own" when the facts say otherwise. "To each his own" would suggest that words have different meanings depending on the person, which of course is not the case. Derivative = rehashed, not original, uninventive, unoriginal (I'm sure your thesauri will confirm this), and as per my description: "Asphyx's recent derivative regurgitation of old school death metal" these all describe Asphyx's recent album regardless of whether or not you like the album itself (that's fact, not opinion), and seeing as, in my opinion, a band should be primarily judged on their recent output they indeed qualify for being classed as, to some extent at least, "derivative" as a band - though this point is actually not related to the original text because I was implicitly referring the recent output of Asphyx, not the band as a whole (you'll see that if you read my staff pick again, so your original point of me calling Asphyx derivative was somewhat inaccurate, though it is still the case to a large extent as I have now explained). Having 37 dictionaries and thesauri is a bit pointless if you're going to selectively ignore what's written in them
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11.05.2012 - 14:54
Rating: 8
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
So... yeah... Boobs.



Anyway I YT a track and it was alright, seems like a "grower"
----
14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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