Desensitised - Virus Of Violence
Self-released - 2006
By Philip Whitehouse
Note to bands sending in self-released demos in future - take a leaf from Desensitised's book. This five-track promo disc (serving as a taster for their 13 track full-length album) actually came in a slimline jewel case, complete with an inlay which wasn't a handwritten tracklist on scrappy lined paper. First impressions count, guys.
Aesthetic concerns aside, what do this Dutch quartet have to offer? Well, they do a nice line in brutal death metal with occasional grindcore splatterings. At times recalling Benediction, Desensitised's beefy riffage and knack for a eye-widening solo combine well with their penchant for straight out blast-and-trempick sections. 'Introspective Exploration' features some nice high-velocity blast sections tempered by sick, bottom-end hugging drawn-out chords and varied drum patterns, while 'Feotus In Fetu' kicks off with an instantly memorable (but still pretty heavy) guitar riff before building into a distinctly thrashy number.
The production lacks some polish and bite, but that's to be expected for an unsigned act, and besides, the sound is pretty impressive nonetheless. I'd be interested to hear the full album, because the material on this promo is well-written, tightly performed and quite memorable. The band seem to have defined their sound pretty clearly and manage to avoid sounding too much like any of their contemporaries. While possibly not quite ready to taken on the Cannibal Corpses or Niles of the world yet, Desensitised do raise themselves above many signed bands, and should hopefully find themselves a label soon if their perseverance continues.
6.5/10
Official Desensitised Website
Self-released - 2006
By Philip Whitehouse
Note to bands sending in self-released demos in future - take a leaf from Desensitised's book. This five-track promo disc (serving as a taster for their 13 track full-length album) actually came in a slimline jewel case, complete with an inlay which wasn't a handwritten tracklist on scrappy lined paper. First impressions count, guys.
Aesthetic concerns aside, what do this Dutch quartet have to offer? Well, they do a nice line in brutal death metal with occasional grindcore splatterings. At times recalling Benediction, Desensitised's beefy riffage and knack for a eye-widening solo combine well with their penchant for straight out blast-and-trempick sections. 'Introspective Exploration' features some nice high-velocity blast sections tempered by sick, bottom-end hugging drawn-out chords and varied drum patterns, while 'Feotus In Fetu' kicks off with an instantly memorable (but still pretty heavy) guitar riff before building into a distinctly thrashy number.
The production lacks some polish and bite, but that's to be expected for an unsigned act, and besides, the sound is pretty impressive nonetheless. I'd be interested to hear the full album, because the material on this promo is well-written, tightly performed and quite memorable. The band seem to have defined their sound pretty clearly and manage to avoid sounding too much like any of their contemporaries. While possibly not quite ready to taken on the Cannibal Corpses or Niles of the world yet, Desensitised do raise themselves above many signed bands, and should hopefully find themselves a label soon if their perseverance continues.
6.5/10
Official Desensitised Website
