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[8.5/10] There may have only been a short two year gap between the release of their debut EP Arming Within (2006) and their debut full-length effort Dakota, but the growth Perth (Western Australia) based metal act Dyscord had made within that time was clearly evident.
Two years on and the five piece act (who comprise of vocalist James Herbert, guitarists Matthew Herbert and Owen Thomas, bassist Raffe Houston and new drummer Ashley Large) are back with their long awaited second album Tirades. Building on the progression the band have made in the past between releases, Tirades is once again a step up and leap forward for the young band in terms of both composition and execution.
The most immediate change noticeable on the opening track “Behold” (after the initial radio tuning sound effects introduction that is) is just how heavy the sound the band has opted for this time around in the production sense. But then given that Dyscord enlisted Jason Suecof (God Forbid, Trivium, DevilDriver, Kataklysm) on mixing, and Alan Douches (Nile, Shadows Fall, Unearth) for mastering, it’s little surprise to hear the depth and heaviness throughout Tirades.
Aside from sound, the other real notable change for Dyscord this time around can be found in direction. Gone are the clean vocals heard on the band’s two former releases, along with most of the metallic hardcore influences. Instead, the band has focussed more on the groove heavy/melodic death metal side of their sound. And while Dyscord’s past direction wasn’t necessarily ill-fitting per se, it has to be said that the band seem to have finally found their niche.
The slower and groovier “You Sir, Are A Gentleman And A Scholar” is a definite stand out on the earlier half of the album, with the angular chord bending effects and the faster passages giving the song plenty of variation and character, while the moody “The Flaming Catharsis” and the calculated timing of “Saguntum” follow on in similar fashion.
Elsewhere, Dyscord speed up proceedings with some thrashing elements in “Beneath The Callous” and “Divergence,” while on “The Murderhorn” and the closing track “The Apparatus,” the band showcase their technical abilities, all the while maintaining a sense of structure within their song writing.
Dyscord have certainly come a long way in their short time together, with every new release from the band improving upon their former releases in both consistency and maturity. Tirades is by far Dyscord’s strongest and memorable release to date, and fully delivers on the band’s initial promise, whereas past releases in comparison may have fallen a little short of the mark.
www.dyscord.com
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