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Disincarnate: Dreams of the carrion kind
31/12/12 || Sokaris
James Murphy. Generally he’s known as the guy who comes along to an established band, takes part in something kickass and then goes on his way, ending up in a different subgenre, on a different coast or in a different country. He’s performed on albums from bands as varied as Death, Testament, Obituary, Cancer and Konkhra. He’s known as a legendary lead guitarist and has even built an impressive resume on the production side of things as well. I remember wondering if the man ever just had his own band, one where he called the shots, wrote the riffs, that sort of thing.
Enter Disincarnate into Sokaris’ ears.
Turns out Murphy assembled a few other musicians in Tampa, Florida, the heart of death metal, hired then current Malevolent Creation drummer Alex Marquez and recorded a demo at (where else but) Morrisound Studios. The band was basically already prepackaged for Roadrunner Records when the label picked them up for a full length.
So soundwise what are we in for? Basically an adept blend of just about every different strain of the then young death metal scene. Take “In sufferance” for example. The aforementioned Malevolent Creation seems to be channeled early on, while a riff in half time evoked the kind of darkness the early obscure Finnish bands were practicing. Bringing the song back into tempo we’ve got a run across the frets that wouldn’t sound out of place on the first couple Atheist albums, all ending with a headbanger of a riff Morbid Angel would approve of. Disincarnate and their sole album are highly recommended to anyone that’s explored the most visible of the classic death metal scene and are looking for more. Balance is the name of the game, Murphy’s playing straddling between catchy mosh-fuel, murky and sinister riffing, showy breaks and of course his signature solo prowess. The last quality cannot be overstressed, this guy kept up with Chuck Schuldiner and helped bring Obituary to their highest point.
The production is relatively clean but the tone is strong, so the proceedings never sound sterile or thin. Bass is somewhat overpowered by the booming drums and the crunch of the guitar but the its low end presence is still felt. Vocally, think of a less burpy Immolation to get the right idea. It’s a shame this guy never popped up anywhere else, he’s got that ultra low roar, not sacrificing power for pitch. A perfect approach for real death metal. Speaking of vocals, a pair of notable guests appear, namely Aaron from My Dying Bride and Murphy’s ex-bandmate John Walker of Cancer, reenforcing the guttural assault present.
I suppose if one were to critique the album they could look at it as somewhat “stock”, not doing anything drastic to stand out from its peers and preferring to sort of bridge the gap between other bands. Disincarnate might not have an easily discernible gimmick or buzzword to sum them up but death metal should never be about that anyway. There’s no one thing the band does best but Disincarnate are all purpose specialists in aggression and mastefully diverse linear songwriters of the highest regard.
For that they deserve to be dusted off and revisited. This is actually an early 90s Roadrunner album that’s not a pain in the ass to get a hold of. The label actually reissued it in 2004 (even though the first three Malevolent Creation albums, Suffocation’s “Breeding the Spawn” and more remain out of print) and more recently Metal Mind brought “Dreams of the carrion kind” back onto the market with the “Soul erosion” demo as a bonus.
Seek the album out, invest some listens and do your part in death metal appreciation by going beyond the typical pantheon of legends.
- Information
- Released: 1993
- Label: Roadrunner Records
- Website: www.brutalitytheband.com
- Band
- Bryan Cegon: vocals
- James Carman: guitars
- James Murphy: guitars, bass
- Tomas Viator: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. De profundis
- 02. Stench of paradise burning
- 03. Beyond the flesh
- 04. In sufferance
- 05. Monarch of the sleeping marches
- 06. Soul erosion
- 07. Entranced
- 08. Confine of shadows
- 09. Deadspawn
- 10. Sea of tears
- 11. Immemorial dream
