THE LIBERATION

Time to let go, this was a fallacy...

This is a case of "I don't usually write reviews here, but this is bad enough for me to do so."

Back to times of splendor was epic melodic death metal, this album is WTF metal. Actually scratch that last part, this album is like 15% metal, 70% filler and 15% stuff I forgot instantly during listening to it! There's really not a lot to say about this album as this can't be considered a serious release, it's a plethora of different ideas (but not actual song ideas, only bits and pieces!) strung together with a lot of choruses, some imitation of BTTOS (obviously the best parts here... though that's not saying much. and imitation is being to generous... rip-off more like), pretentious pretending with non-metal instruments (guest musicians obv) and an unbelievable amount of slow, minimalistic and decidedly un-heavy filler passages that categorically deny any enjoyment or the presence of any FLOW. Really, this dreck is setting a record for how disjointed and un-flowing an album can be! I wasn't expecting too much when buying this blind (I mean Gloria already was the biggest drop a band ever had from one album to the next), but I would at least have expected Disillusion to try seriously, having crowdfunded this album (there sure were enough suckers mentioned in the booklet who must feel really ripped off now). Previously only one album managed to disgust me for me to literally throw it out the car window (Opeth's disasterpiece Heritage, and it was a CD-R, but still...), but since I WAS stupid enough to buy the limited edition, this is instead ending up on Ebay tomorrow after 2 listens. There's nothing to grow on me here, since there's just NOTHING THERE! I can't properly express how disgusted I am by this release as BTTOS is in, and always will remain in, my top 10 albums of all time. What disgusts me most is that now I likely won't even be able to ever go see them live, since now there's TWO horrible albums that will take setlist slots away from BTTOS, and I'm not paying to hear like 1-2 songs I actually want to hear when I have to suffer through so many horrible ones (the pre-BTTOS stuff was decent if nothing special).

1/5 ATROCIOUS! STAY AWAY

PS: I didn't read the lyrics, but from simply listening I can't find any lyrical or thematical connection to BTTOS here. Note that this album is literally advertised as the successor to BTTOS (sticker of the vinyl version, which I also bought...), adding insult to injury!

Disillusion is back to their time of Splendor, indeed. 13 years of waiting since their last full length made me lose any hope of a new album. When I saw "The Liberation", I put it on with a lot of uncertainty. 13 years had passed since "Gloria", that was courageous and experimental, departing from the epic long prog pieces of their debut. As much as I loved "Back to Times of Splendor", I didn't fall in love with their follow-up, cause it sounded like their inspiration had dried out. The long hiatus after that seemed to confirm it, but their comeback proved me wrong.

I was very happy to hear that they went back to their roots. "The Liberation" feels very much like an older brother of BTTOS. Long epic songs, alternating heavy thrashy riffs, chaotic blast beats and long reflective slow sections. Compared to their debut, the sound is much darker and heavier. The growl vocals, which I thought they would abandon for good after Gloria, are back in a much more intense style as before. The arrangements are still a bit chaotic and hypertrophic, which was what to me ruined BTTOS a bit, but the guitar work is tight, with a modern sound that resembles some of the things made by Ihsahn. The songs are less beautiful and dreamy than BTTOS, but they all hit the target when it comes to feelings and emotions. It takes several listens to fully appreciate it.

It doesn't help the fact that in my opinion the quality of the songs is increasing during the tracklist, going from "ok" to "wow". After the beautiful intro, the opener "Wintertide" is indeed a summary of all the elements of the album, but it's the weakest song in the lot. The following "The Great Unknown" is direct and heavy, a short piece good for a single, but not very catchy. Then you have "A Shimmer In The Darkest Sea", with a dark pulsing bass paving the way to a disquieting chorus that proceeds obliquely, very deep and intense. Here is when you start to feel that the album is of a rare quality. The impression is confirmed by the majestic titletrack, an epic masterpiece, really resembling the peak of a mountain reached after a long strenuous journey. Breathtaking. "Time to let go" is another catchy and intense short piece, probably my favourite of the lot: its malinchonic verse and chorus is followed by a break that leaks desperation and intensity. The album finally concludes with a beautiful long epic: "The Mountain" starts dark and heavy just like the opening track, but then it finds itself on the surface of an alien planet: a long instrumental atmospheric piece that reminds of Pink Floyd, woven by the notes of a psychedelic brass. After the mid section, the song explodes in the most violent break, before finding release in an emotional beautiful guitar solo that takes the final chorus by the hand, towards the conclusion of the journey.

Disillusion, despite their low productivity in 16 years, are still able to keep the role of one of the most intense and emotional prog metal bands around.

DISILLUSION is a progressive metal band that I had in 2004 classified as death-dark-prog nag! Well I know it's not in agreements, but in my book! "Back To Times Of Splendor" had hit the headlines by this innovative and futuristic concept album. The vagaries of the group, birth of children, find work, have to make a forced break. There are two years a crowdfunding relaunched the group with Andy Schmidt at the helm. The group began in 1994 sailing in the extreme thrash, extreme modern metal, metal tech pat metal and its ethereal air. MESHUGGAH, Devin Townsend, IHSAHN, DEATH, MY DYING BRIDE, ANATHEMA and especially OPETH represent somewhere sounds that can amalgamate to listen to this album titanic! Yes I say now,

"In Waking Hours" begins the album with a beautiful intro with strings intro BOF (movie soundtrack as the last "Annihilation") or with air air, space, melancholy like the intro of "Aqua" ASIA, in fact it's just sublime. Time to continue with "Wintertide" and riff from the grave to machine gun. It's heavy, it imposes the growl singer's voice adds a little. I found a little of the madness of MY DYING BRIDE moments. The riff becomes frenetic pop with an almost gentle chorus that makes you whisper between two spasms that there is room to spare. The battery is excellent, just explosive, they would come to regret the wake of OPETH vintage prog. Here it is wild, glossy, heavy, almost insane with many melodic breaks scattered to both sides, acceleration, lull with cello, as in a nascent storm! Maelstrom to the end of course! My album title! "The Great Unknown" sends the heaviest yet, frank brutality and majestic chorus to 2'10 '' ambient prog and fusion on the map, confusing. I even thought I heard the chorus of "And The Cruise S'amuse"! The gun makes its taf, yet I have not written for an instrument. "A Shimmer In The Darkest Sea" starts with a cinematic intro new kind ALIEN or Prometheus, some MONSTER MAGNET for bass, to tell you that the bases are varied; voice borrows some of the ULVER, that of IHSAHN, some Serj TANKIAN or Devin Townsend. Riff also from mid-term to a melodic prog drivingly window with the limits choruses Gregorian, heat capacity, masculine looks like an ode to freedom, to a Scandinavian Induction worship. The end eye on the complaints of cold ANATHEMA.

"The Liberation" album title goes on a massive scale with everything: it is the third title of over 12 'which outputs an unstoppable anthem air early for a hike in the Arctic north. The voice is more death here, there is some redundancy at times, the solos are there to lose a little more. Then came a form of calmitude (yes, you will find !!), area of ​​no sound and then leave with choirs, playful chorus sinister narrative rigor. Halfway out a thinning of notes, the music is nice and warm at once, it is elsewhere. The solo is plaintive and allows to escape further into the Sidereal steppe. Here in this remote corner-death-doom metal animal sleeps prog. "Time To Let Go" arrives for the "ballad" of the album with voice phrased, melodic lines more accessible recalling some all new prog metal bands of the 2010's; it's sweet, energetic, catchy. Of course a line with cello comes just to give an ethereal sweetness; PARADISE LOST back a little memory as by now. "The Mountain" finally comes to the third long way somewhat reminiscent of a triptych to run here and there atmospheres already agreed in the previous two titles. The intro is already enchanting (certified neologism!), Wind, piano and cavernous voice come the scene and throwing an icy atmosphere, rising with size the concept of progressive music; is stately, Epic, evanescent each break with this pest bit is grandiose is enjoyable. This icy atmosphere with introduction of trumpet (I repeat, 2020 Canterbury prog fusion and will!) finally leaves a benevolent form of heat, soothing in its numerous breaks and almost forget the violence of the choruses. Again I can not help thinking this awesome key-at-all Devin! mounted of, various voices, ambient breaks, causing a burning digress and effervescent coldness is what awaits you with this last title. Be careful not to close your eyes, you might see a Balrog. digress causing a burning coldness and effervescent, this is what awaits you with this last title. Be careful not to close your eyes, you might see a Balrog. digress causing a burning coldness and effervescent, this is what awaits you with this last title. Be careful not to close your eyes, you might see a Balrog.

Of course, DISILLUSION has not released easy drive and dancing: the titles are extreme prog metal, but with great prog convolutions that allow to make "The Liberation" a real gem. This column brought me great happiness and musical shows that music is evolving, even in this extreme portion of the progressive music.