Dissentient
I get really annoyed when I can’t do things when I want to, so recently when my internet was removed due to moving house, I was getting remarkable annoyed at not being able to access the music I wanted to! As part of this, the request from the chaps in Dissentient ended up sitting there in my emails, I could see it whenever I checked my mail, but until recently couldn’t do anything about it to check out their latest album, Black Hole Machine. Finally, as the internet came back, I was able to listen to the whole thing properly, so figured the least I could do was to chuck some words down about these guys that draw influence from some of my personal favourites, from Fear Factory to Strapping Young Lad and (erm…) Journey.
Opening with Empty Vessel the album gets off to a pumping start, opening with a guitar line which is going to get you shaking from the off and showing that this is a band that are out with a damned serious outlook on their music. Powerful and firmly rooted in the world of distortion, the opening moments of this album show that this is going to be one heavy assed ride, the sort of tracks which are full of powerful guitar lines, roaring vocals, pounding bass rhythms and hammering drumlines, in short, the sort of thing we all crave! Title track Black Hole Machine continues this further, immediately showing off the Fear Factory and Strapping Young Lad influences and launching us into a rolling melee of slamming guitar lines, pounding drums and a sense of all out aggression. The synth backing here adds an industrial edge to things, presenting a final track which will sit you back and force you to listen, before grabbing you by the eye balls and tossing you into a pit of all out devastation, 2 tracks in and there’s no sign of holding back!
Incorporeal once again shows off the seriously heavy side of the band, combining the heavy approach with a real sense of groove orientated riffs and rolling drums. This is the sort of mix which is going to get a pit going, lure people in to become a part of the frenzied melee and let you know that heavy is alive and well in this band. The contrasting vocals on this track add a further sense of depth to things, this time showing off a more technical side to the band and providing us with a track which will get a serious amount of respect generated for these guys. Destination Nowhere once again presents a slightly different approach to things, this time slowing things down and offering up a sludgy mix of downtuned guitars, rolling drums and intricate lead lines to bolster the mix. Slower to accentuate the full force of this track, this is a serious high point on the album, and a moment which stands out as one of my personal favourites from the offering. There’s something about the slowed down mix, the pounding drums and the guttural vocals which gives a real sense of evil to the mix here, the sort of thing which will make you sit up and pay attention, whilst at the same time keep you wary thanks to the all-out feel of things.
Oblivium presents yet another high point on the record, this time returning to the faster approach but adding in a sense of syncopation to the mix, keeping things technical but not giving away what’s going to come next. This ability to combine an all-out heavy approach with a technical ability is something which is going to stand these guys in good stead moving forwards, they’ve got the ability to produce stuff which will blow your mind so if they can pull it off live, then they’re going to be one hell of a band to check out! To me, the middle section of this track was amongst the most impressive moments of the album, slowing things down to a simple guitar line but keeping the drums moving, offering up a sound which at first is hard to understand, but soon becomes something deep, powerful and intriguing. The slow and relaxed start of Eternal initially suggests a slower track to follow, but don’t be deceived, soon we’re returned to the heavy pace of the album, something which is further matched in Degredation Field and Parasitic, both tracks offering up their own take on the bands style and continuing to demonstrate just how intricate heavy can be when it wants to be. Both tracks stand out as excellent tracks, but on an album like this it’s not hard to achieve – there’s not been a dud on the album so far!
It’s only left then to Dystopian Weakness to close the album, slowing things down to a Dark Tranquility style riff and synth combination and finishing on a track which showcases the bands style, outlook and approach from start to finish. I always think it’s clichéd to say that an album finishes on a high, but there’s really no other way to describe the closing here, it’s a track which brings the album full circle, sums up what you’ve heard, and leaves you wanting more – leaving it as a 9 track album which from start to finish presents us with tracks which everyone needs to pay some serious attention to.
I’d managed to catch snippets of Black Hole Machine from Dissentient in the lead up to sitting down to check it out properly, but to be honest, nothing could have prepared me for the power, aggression and ability which they’ve managed to throw into this album. From start to finish we’re taken on a journey, each track packing a punch and leaving no doubt that there’s a new band on the scene that we all need to look at, take note from, and prepare to hear a lot more of. I see big things for these guys, and just hope everyone else shares my opinion – this is a band you need to hear!
To find out more about Dissentient, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with Empty Vessel the album gets off to a pumping start, opening with a guitar line which is going to get you shaking from the off and showing that this is a band that are out with a damned serious outlook on their music. Powerful and firmly rooted in the world of distortion, the opening moments of this album show that this is going to be one heavy assed ride, the sort of tracks which are full of powerful guitar lines, roaring vocals, pounding bass rhythms and hammering drumlines, in short, the sort of thing we all crave! Title track Black Hole Machine continues this further, immediately showing off the Fear Factory and Strapping Young Lad influences and launching us into a rolling melee of slamming guitar lines, pounding drums and a sense of all out aggression. The synth backing here adds an industrial edge to things, presenting a final track which will sit you back and force you to listen, before grabbing you by the eye balls and tossing you into a pit of all out devastation, 2 tracks in and there’s no sign of holding back!
Incorporeal once again shows off the seriously heavy side of the band, combining the heavy approach with a real sense of groove orientated riffs and rolling drums. This is the sort of mix which is going to get a pit going, lure people in to become a part of the frenzied melee and let you know that heavy is alive and well in this band. The contrasting vocals on this track add a further sense of depth to things, this time showing off a more technical side to the band and providing us with a track which will get a serious amount of respect generated for these guys. Destination Nowhere once again presents a slightly different approach to things, this time slowing things down and offering up a sludgy mix of downtuned guitars, rolling drums and intricate lead lines to bolster the mix. Slower to accentuate the full force of this track, this is a serious high point on the album, and a moment which stands out as one of my personal favourites from the offering. There’s something about the slowed down mix, the pounding drums and the guttural vocals which gives a real sense of evil to the mix here, the sort of thing which will make you sit up and pay attention, whilst at the same time keep you wary thanks to the all-out feel of things.
Oblivium presents yet another high point on the record, this time returning to the faster approach but adding in a sense of syncopation to the mix, keeping things technical but not giving away what’s going to come next. This ability to combine an all-out heavy approach with a technical ability is something which is going to stand these guys in good stead moving forwards, they’ve got the ability to produce stuff which will blow your mind so if they can pull it off live, then they’re going to be one hell of a band to check out! To me, the middle section of this track was amongst the most impressive moments of the album, slowing things down to a simple guitar line but keeping the drums moving, offering up a sound which at first is hard to understand, but soon becomes something deep, powerful and intriguing. The slow and relaxed start of Eternal initially suggests a slower track to follow, but don’t be deceived, soon we’re returned to the heavy pace of the album, something which is further matched in Degredation Field and Parasitic, both tracks offering up their own take on the bands style and continuing to demonstrate just how intricate heavy can be when it wants to be. Both tracks stand out as excellent tracks, but on an album like this it’s not hard to achieve – there’s not been a dud on the album so far!
It’s only left then to Dystopian Weakness to close the album, slowing things down to a Dark Tranquility style riff and synth combination and finishing on a track which showcases the bands style, outlook and approach from start to finish. I always think it’s clichéd to say that an album finishes on a high, but there’s really no other way to describe the closing here, it’s a track which brings the album full circle, sums up what you’ve heard, and leaves you wanting more – leaving it as a 9 track album which from start to finish presents us with tracks which everyone needs to pay some serious attention to.
I’d managed to catch snippets of Black Hole Machine from Dissentient in the lead up to sitting down to check it out properly, but to be honest, nothing could have prepared me for the power, aggression and ability which they’ve managed to throw into this album. From start to finish we’re taken on a journey, each track packing a punch and leaving no doubt that there’s a new band on the scene that we all need to look at, take note from, and prepare to hear a lot more of. I see big things for these guys, and just hope everyone else shares my opinion – this is a band you need to hear!
To find out more about Dissentient, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls