Year: 2020
Total Time: 46:00
Label: Metal Blade
The time for the comeback of our dearly beloved German DESASTER has finally come, after 5 years of absence, they are here with their new steamroller assault entitled “Churched Without Saints”. The band, for those unfamiliar with their work, exists since 1989 and have in the ir trophy case numerous great releases in the black/thrash scene at first and thrash/death one later on.
This is their 9th studio effort and their discography is also fullfiled with lots of EP’s, live albums even on tapes only, 7” singles, CD and DVD’s. The one we are talking about today is exactly what we were expecting to be. Fast, powerful and sweeping thrash/death metal, without compromises and unnecessary additions here and there. A small atmospheric intro is enough for “Learn To Love The Void”, the first album single, to be unleashed from the speakers, grabbing us by the face with its speed and throw us to “Failling Trinity” that continues in the same vein and has us stuck on the wall helpless. In “Exile Is Imminent” we can’t actually rest a bit but still get the time to take our position in order to enjoy the epic six minute album titled track that is overflown with heaviness and atmosphere. Here, the speed indeed leaves its place to rhythm and feeling that spreads heavily and somehow melodic, showing the bands influences from such acts like SATYRICON or HYCOPRISY. A real epic tune, top notch if you are not in it just for the speed. Enough with the laying back, the short intense “Hellputa” is putting us back in the rails before “Sadistic Salvation” enters full speed ahead in more modern black/thrash style. Follow up is “Primordial Obscurity”, which is the bands effort for something more technical with nice leads and great riffing before we reach the last actual song, the 7 minute long “Endless Awakening” which is another atmospheric opus that evolves slowly and tortures us before climaxing in a storm of drums and guitar works with the singer giving his last drops of breath. The album will come to its end with “Aus Asche” which to be honest, I have no idea what is doing in here, at first I thought it might be a “gothic rock” cover song or something but I have no information at all, the band is calling it “outro” but I am pretty sure it fits a Gothic Rock club’s playlist and have the spectators inside trying to fiure out what the hell are they listening to.
So, in conclusion, the new work of the German veterans is surely one of their best ones to date. They do not offer us full albums much often since they have more obligations to accomplish according to their leader Infernal, the last remaining original member, but since the quality is always better than quantity (at least in music!) we can only agree with him. Vocals and guitar work is on high levels while the new drummer Hont that took the place of the iconic Tormentor (a.k.a. Stefan Huskens, also ex ASPHYX, METALUCIFER, CARNAL GHOUL etc.) in 2018 is a great replacement totally worth the job.
The die-hard fans of the scene made by DESTRUCTION, SODOM, VENOM but also NIFELHEIM, SATYRICON, HYPOCRISY and the likes, should definitely obtain it, not that I think they were waiting from me to tell them to do so. This is another small diamond from one of the most honest and true underground acts of our times and is waiting in the record store shelves for you to get it!
Rating: 7.5/10
Editor: Antonis Livanios
Related Link: DESASTER – Official Page
