Oklahoma City’s Dischordia are back! Back with a brand new two song, 25-minute mind fucking that is Binge/Purge. Just a year and a half after the release of their last full-length, Thanatopsis, which I threw heaps of praise at, the power trio serves up a punishing cocktail that leaves all who indulge, assed out on the floor from one hell of an intoxicating listen. A listen that merges a myriad of different influences and a strong Australian/New Zealand vibe à la Ulcerate, Mephistopheles, Alchemist, and Damaged, amongst the band’s Gorguts meets Meshuggah meets The Dillinger Escape Plan authoritative foundation.

Before I get into the nitty gritty of Binge/Purge, I just want to express how much this band needs, no scratch that, deserves to be heard by the metal masses. Is it because the group does something you’ve never experienced? Of course not. No, it’s because they do what they do so damn well. Just as I stated in my recent Engulf review, Dischordia needs, no scratch that, deserves the support from a label like Season of Mist or Willowtip Records. A label that knows how to handle a sound like theirs and is big enough to actually push them out to more people, yet still small enough to see them as a band and not just a commodity. Regardless, not having label support hasn’t hurt the guys  at all as Dischordia remains vigilant, viable, and visible when it comes to the group’s prolificness (I’ve literally witnessed the guys live a dozen times in the last ten years), and the fact that Colin Martson (Gorguts, Krallice, Behold the Arctopus, Dysrhythmia) handles the mixing and mastering on Binge/Purge is not only a perfect pairing for Dischordia‘s sound but may even help turn an extra head or two in their direction. Anyways, enough hyperbole lets get into what really matters most here; crushing jams.

“Binge” is is exactly that, a smorgasbord binging of fat riffs, swirling rhythms, ever-changing tempos, undaunting twists and turns, fierce heaviness, embracing dissonance, and an all-encompassing array of blasts, rolls, pops, plucks and everything in between. A displayed feast of progressive tech-death that is as every bit structured as much as it vastly sounds untamed and even chaotic. The track wastes no time as it comes double- barrel blasting out out the gates with that aforementioned Gorguts-ian flavored gusto. Chaotic tinged progressive death groove of the most high quality with some seriously venomous doubling vocal attacks going on all within the song’s first minute lets you know this is going to be one hell of a great listen. Whether it is the unbridled riff beatdown that begins at the 1:55 mark, the Obscura enriched brilliance that shines through the 3:50 to the 5:11, or the following ethereal Mastodon-like tinge that quickly changes to crushing territory until the 6:40 mark sees some fantastically quirky progressive qualities take center stage, this song has a multitude of attributes that will put a deviant grin across your ugly mug. Hell, just the last few minutes of the track’s bludgeoning chaos leading into a crushing and even droning madness akin to a death metal version of Willy Wonka’s infamous ferry ride makes “Binge” one of the more truly creative and invoking songs that I’ve heard recently.

“Purge”, on the other hand, is quite the opposite of what Dischordia lays down with “Binge”. It’s slower, lurching, has a bit of a darker vibe, and every bit full of noticeable and concrete structure. Don’t think that translates into any type of loss in heaviness, as  “Purge” is rooted in a profound stoutness that can rival the likes of Vore, Temple of Void, and even Bolt Thrower in terms of gravity bending. Need proof? Check out the fattened crush-groove that begins at the 1:49; if anything the riff is overtly simple for Dischordia, but lays waste just the same in its slow and controlled exorcizing brilliance.

We get more of that riffing excellence building up to more world crushing groove at the 6:17, when double kicks and brutal-as-fuck vocals (that’s “brutal”, not to be mistaken with “broodle”…there is a difference) come in with a black hole ripping viciousness. One of my favorite attributes of Dischordia is the seamless and extremely effective and effective blending of atmospherics they achieve in their material. Once again, bassist/vocalist, Josh Turner, adds his touch with some great flute-work at the 8:42 mark until 9:31 brings the down-tuned pits of hell heaviness back into the fold. “Purge” eventually closes out in true progressive form with piano and marimba coming together in an eerie, yet peaceful, manifestation before fading out into silence.

It’s pretty plain to see that I am quite the fan of Dischordia, but I truly believe Dischordia is one of the best things going on in extreme metal today. I don’t just say that because they’re really nice guys (which they are really nice guys), no I say that on the merit of their material alone…and the fact that it is these three gentlemen that are creating the Dischord-ian sound. Anyone else playing this exact material would simply be a “less than” experience. The huge grooves and quirky acrobatics of guitarist/vocalist, Keeno, are tight, unpredictable, and superfluous in their own right, where the aforementioned Turner is the perfect counterpart to the guitarist. His bass lines can go from supportive to driving in a moments notice and the two’s merging of vocals are outstandingly well done. And then there’s Josh Fallin, whose last name should read Beatin’, because that is exactly what the man is doing behind the kit, beating the fuck out of those drums. Seriously though, the man is a force that knows when to rage and when to subdue in just the perfect way.

I know I’ve gushed pretty hard over Binge/Purge, but hopefully, it will prompt some of you readers out there to not only check out the new EP, but their past material as well, especially Thanatopsis. Dischordia is an immensely good band and their material is a 100% satisfying listen and payoff experience. This little two song rager is destined to be one of my favorite releases of 2018 and I highly recommend it to anyone that loves multifaceted metal of any kind. Good job guys, this is as top notch and top tier as it gets.

[Visit the band's website]

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