Dyscarnate – With All Their Might


Though it was conceived elsewhere, the UK can boast some real pedigree when it comes to Death Metal. From classic acts such as Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower, and Akercocke to more recent acts such as Mithras, The King is Blind, and Venom Prison, there’s no shortage of quality. And 2017 sees the return of Dyscarnate.

In new album With All Their Might (Unique Leader), the British trio once described as “the best new death metal band in the UK, without question” make a strong claim for claiming 2017’s best Death Metal album. The band’s third long-player sees outgoing bassist Henry Bates replaced with Al Llewellyn, but the core sounds remains intact: an endless supply of massive grooving riffs, crisp machine-gun drumming, and a relentless supply of aggression.

From the opening barrage of ‘Of Mice and Mountains’, you know Dyscarante aren’t fucking about. Straight to the point, in your face grooves that segue between massive slow grooves and blast beasts. ‘Iron Strengthens Iron’ is a relentless supply of riffs, ‘Traitors in the Palace’ oozes a slower kind of brutality, but every song is absolutely crushing and designed to inspire chaos on moshpits. The excellently named ‘BackBreaker’ is a slower but equally relentless stomper more in the death-doom Obituary mould. Llewellyn and guitarist Tom Whitty trade-off vocals, one having the more guttural while the other has a higher rasp. ‘This Fire’ has a slight Djent feel to it, and the presence of clean vocals show a little subtlety in what is largely a record to punch people in the face to.

Almost obnoxiously heavy and groovy, With All Their Might is the sound of a headbanging-induced aneurysm. This is Death Metal that gets right in your face and stays there for a full forty minutes.

9.0/10

DAN SWINHOE