Shortly after I began my time writing for Angry Metal Guy, I commented that death metal wasn’t really a style of metal I enjoyed in its “base” form. While I can certainly appreciate awesome riffing, furious roaring, and bestial drumming, I’ve always felt like the approach just needs something… more. Melodeath, death-doom, and similar styles are what have resonated with me more strongly in the past, leaving “just” death metal largely off of my radar. A short while ago, I reviewed the latest from Mettadone, and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the modern take on the style. Fast-forward to the present, and here I am again, giving death metal another chance in my life. This time, it takes the form of The Procrastination of Being, the sophomore album from Mexican metallers Disrupted, an album that features some pretty awesome performances and a title that sums up my life perfectly.1
What was it I said earlier? That I can certainly appreciate awesome riffing, furious roaring, and bestial drumming. Well, check, check, and check, Disrupted bring all three to the table. The Procrastination of Being hits the ground at a sprint, with breaks being few and far between. Energy, thrash-like guitar wizardry, and variation aplenty kick off the album in the form of the title track, which largely sets the tone for the rest of the album. Songs clock in between three and four minutes long each, bursting with energy the whole way. Disrupted bring brutal guitar work and pounding drums to the forefront of their sound, preferring intense riffing to lead lines. This is actually a bit of a shame, as songs like “Urgency Revealed” and “Asfixia” are among the best on the album, standing apart from their surroundings because of inventive tremolos and memorable leads.
This is not to say that the rest of the album is a let-down by any stretch, though some songs do come across as a bit generic. “Pungent Anxiety,” for example, spends a little too much time blast-beating atop train-speed chugging, though its playful bass lines are an easy highlight. Occasionally, as in “Mechanical Consciousness,” the vocals lean too much on a single style, which is ever a hazard when using only harsh vocals on an album. For the most part, The Procrastination of Being is decorated with shrieks, roars, and yells, and in a song like “Sense of Emptiness,” which uses all three styles, the energy and power Disrupted seek to convey is easily apparent.
With nine songs totaling thirty-three minutes, The Procrastination of Being never gets a chance to overstay its welcome. The production on the album certainly helps with that. Disrupted have achieved a stunningly clear (if slightly loud) sound, in which every band member is constantly audible—a good thing too, as I love the grimy bass tone they’ve used. There are no muddy riffs or fuzzy atmospheres here, just a crystal-clear sound that highlights the terrific talent on display from every member of the band. Whether in the strong solos (few and far between), the constant riffing, the inventive drumming, or the varied bass lines that support it all, this album has been mixed and mastered in such a way as to make sure you can hear all of it, which I cannot appreciate enough in modern death metal.
The Procrastination of Being closes with “Downstairs (Outro),” a flamenco-style acoustic instrumental piece that, by description, should wildly contrast with the rest of the album. But there’s an earnestness to the piece that resonates with me, and aligns well with the preceding eight tracks. You see, this is a very earnest album. It is direct and clear, an expression of the enjoyment Disrupted clearly have for what they do. It has its drawbacks for certain; it could use more variety at times, and it is just a bit loud. But ultimately, this is an enjoyable offering of modern-sounding death metal that I’m very happy to have come across. Who knows, maybe I don’t give this style enough credit. Maybe.2
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 272 kbps mp3
Label: Concreto Records
Websites: disruptedmx.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/disruptedmx
Released Worldwide: July 7th, 2019
