Disillusion - Ayam (2022)

Unleashing a very unique release that has a certain retro Death Metal vibe paired with some crafty proggy and dreamy passages, Disillusion delivers their 4th full length release with “Ayam”. Originally founded back in the 90’s, this band has slowly evolved into more avant-garde territories, but still manages to keep some of that old-school vibe in their highly elaborate music. For fans of early 90’s Melodic/Doom Metal to fans of Opeth, Anathema, and Devin Townsend, this release has something for nearly everybody.

Opening strong with “Am Abgrund”, we get a very unique old-school Benediction meets Ihshan vibe thanks to the contrast of growls, clean vocals, proggy guitars and crafty trumpets. The band brilliantly balances their more experimental and proggy edge in tracks like “Tormento”, “Driftwood”, with this last track dazzling users with soaring vocal melodies and waves of melancholy, giving those Anathema vibes

Not afraid of longer tracks, with the opener clocking in at 11 minutes, and the tour the force “Abide the Storm” at nearly 12 minutes, Andy Schmidt and company create very unique and cinematic experiences, with each track featuring the band’s wide array of styles. We particularly love some of the proggier side of things with songs like “Longhope” and “Nine Days” reminding us of a mixture of Ihshan and Porcupine Tree, quite unique and yet very effective we might add.

With almost one hour of music, “Ayam” is quite an engaging release that requires more than a few spins to fully digest and explore. Disillusion has one of the most unique and elaborate sounds in the scene and with each album they keep improving it and even adding extra layers to it. If you liked any of the band’s earlier works, or just like complex, proggy, and expansive Metal music, this release should be on your shopping cart.

Label: Prophecy Productions

Release: November 4th, 2022

Genre: Progressive/Melodic Metal

Country: Germany