Label: Self released
Date: September 24th, 2021
Here’s what the drummers are good for. While the rehearsal is getting underway, he pulls out a CD saying: “Hey, a friend of mine wants you to review his band”. Much finer service than my postman has ever done, so if you need a review please find my drummer and get it sorted out.
Joking aside, this is the second outing for this Serbian band. An EP containing four songs that span just over twenty minutes. Published four years after the debut full length, so there should be some serious thought behind these tracks, considering the time invested in crafting them.
Still, right at the start, I really need to make a significant remark. You cannot, under any circumstances, publish a CD without printing any sort of contact information inside. Especially since the band’s logo is hardly readable and you get to a point where I needed to look for the band’s name by searching for the main man behind it. And there is most definitely enough room inside the beautifully designed digipack for a couple more lines of text.
Luckily though, this is the final major flaw with “Disclosure”. Regarding music, I believe the EP is all that Disassemble went for. By the way, “Disclosure” is the brainchild of one man, Mr. Milan Rajić, even if the information I found online suggests that there is a full line-up. Mr. Rajić is credited for writing and recording everything himself which adds to the amazement at the technical side of music presented on the EP. At the same time, it is noticeable that the issues usually associated with one-man bands are there. Namely, the lack of extra ears that would polish the arrangements and segmenting of the material at hand. Particularly with the overly technical pieces such as these four songs. In that regard, “Disclosure” leaves me with a feeling that it could’ve been catchier.
But it’s not all as bleak as one might assume from the previously stated. Disassemble is dwelling in the modern melodic death metal domain. Opting for such a genre basically demands a dose of catchiness which the band definitely delivers. Most of all in the riffing which derives from the 21st century Swedish mega stars, as well as the latest efforts by the late Mr. Schuldiner. Coupled with a certain thrashing influence (Testament as the best example) that comes and goes, guitars and drums make for a fairly dynamic recording.
Now, the charm of this release is mostly due to a couple of oriental inserts. Those might be the most obvious in the vocal harmonies of the opener, “A Brewing Storm”, but it flows through a couple of guitar lines as well, later on the EP. Those might not be as straight forward, but they are there, and make for a nice addition to the record.
Speaking of the vocals, they are twofold. You have a clean voice and a traditional death metal grunt which overlap when the necessity calls. Either way, the voice is convincing enough and guides you through the storyline, a concept one, about the (in)convenience of modern day living dead humanity. Having that in mind, there is a melancholic line flowing through “Disclosure”, nicely fitting to the concept. That being said, I would also like to see a colored version of the cover artwork. I believe it would give a more accurate depiction of what Disassemble went for on the EP.
Anyway, “Disclosure” beckons the listener to pay close attention. It is rich with details, big or small, that altogether form a digestible whole, but only for those willing to invest time in it. Disassemble is not an easy listen, but bountiful should you understand fully the message behind it. If the mentioned minor shortcomings are carefully considered next time around, we could be facing a monster, especially given the contemporary genre direction the band has took to.
