Over 40 years of metal’s biological urge (and a hefty lack of restraint) has resulted in some incomprehensibly large catalogs. No one should have to listen to anywhere from 13 to 15 [Luca Turilli’s] Rhapsody [of Fire] albums just to get caught up for a new release. So whenever the fancy strikes us, we’re offering a selection of prime(r)(er) cuts to get you up to speed. Without further ado, welcome to…
German titans Disillusion took a while to find their feet following their 1994 formation. A couple of demos, EP and singles punctuated their early career, before they arrived in a big fucking way with the masterful 2004 debut, Back to Times of Splendor. Boasting an exotic and ambitious blend of progressive metal and melodic death, the album was teeming with creative fire, complex arrangements, and gripping songwriting. Nearly 20 years later it remains an early aughties highpoint and modern classic. However, not all has been smooth sailing. Mastermind Andy Schmidt has held the band together through line-up shifts, extended recording breaks and creative misfires, such as 2006’s clunky and experimental departure, Gloria.
However, Disillusion were not content to fade away into musical oblivion. Schmidt rallied his troops and returned with the promising “Alea” single in 2016. It proved a fitting precursor to their long overdue return on 2019’s third LP, The Liberation. Signaling a return to their songwriting strengths, The Liberation marked a spectacular comeback, finding Disillusion older, wiser, yet as ambitious as ever, unleashing a critically acclaimed epic that well and truly put the band back into the spotlight. Despite their limited discography, there is a lot of meat on the bones regarding their body of work. Sure, it might be wise and easy to start with their wonderful debut, however, with a nearly thirty-year existence to unpack, why not dip into a Disillusion primer, including the killer trio of singles the band has unleashed prior to their upcoming fourth LP, Ayam.
– Saunders
- The Porter – A Lament (2002)
– “The Porter – A Lament” - Back to Times of Splendor EP (2004)
– “And the Mirror Cracked”
– “Fall”
– “Alone I Stand in Fires” - Gloria (2006)
– “The Black Sea”
– “Too Many Broken Cease Fires” - Alea (2016)
– “Alea” - The Liberation (2019)
– “Time to Let Go”
– “Wintertide”
– “The Great Unknown”
– “The Liberation” - Between (2020)
– “Between” - Ayam (2022)
– Am Abgrund”
– “Tormento”
– “Driftwood”
Disillusion‘s fourth full-length album Ayam will be released on November 4th worldwide via Prophetic Productions.
