### Disease Illusion: Backworld

#### 24/05/12 || cadenz

Italy, the greatest of all countries metal. With the exception of Mortuary Drape and the first Rhapsody album, the boot-shaped state has only been churning out quality shit, such as albums born from black ribs. They are impossible to take by ass. And now, let’s head back from the sarcastic turfs of Opposite World, and see if this relatively new band can wipe clean the Italo-memories of the metal world as efficiently as Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones do with their lamp thingy. My hopes are not high.

Disease Illusion play melodic death metal with some metalcore influences, have been around since 2006 and are now here with their debut full-length. DI’s melodeath influences are clearly a mix of the Swedish scene of the 1990’s (think “Clayman”-era In Flames) and the bleaker variety found today (Insomnium and the likes). Dark Tranquillity and Eternal Tears of Sorrow are two other bands that come to mind. The tempo is mid-to-quite high throughout the album, with guitar melodies, riffs and melodic riffs driving the momentum. Once in a while Fabio and company resort to stale breakdowns of the metalcore kind, but thankfully those moments aren’t numerous and are easily forgotten.

The songwriting is quite good but not much stands out. Most songs sound the same and no clear hooks are evident, and this is the biggest fault of the record. The originality factor is non-existent, and even though the production is good, the playing tight and the vocals nice and raspy, “Backworld” is destined to be forgotten and to drown in the vast sea of mediocre melodeath releases. More hooks, more varied chord changes and less breakdowns are welcome improvements for the next disc.

- Information
- Released: 2011
- Label: Ultimhate Records
- Website: Disease Illusion MySpace
- Band
- Fabio: vocals
- Dario: guitars
- Frederico: guitars
- Michele: bass
- Alex: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. The Last Murder
- 02. Eyes of Medusa
- 03. Predator
- 04. From Ashes to Dust
- 05. Denied
- 06. One Last Breath
- 07. The Truth
- 08. Everything into Nothing
- 09. Redemption of the Dreamer
- 10. Light on this Earth