2011 saw the release of Disma’s debut album, Towards the Megalith, which, for me, is one of the finest death metal albums.  Combining brutal death metal, with a fair amount of doom-death and a heaviness that most bands dream of but never achieve.  Disma’s debut mostly contained reworked demo/7” songs, so I am looking forward to their new album in 2017, which should be all new material.

The Lost Vault of Chaos contains: The Vault of Membros demo, The Manifestation 7”, Disma/Winterwolf split 7” and the bonus 7” that went along with the vinyl Toward the Megalith edition.  Disc 2 are live songs Disma recorded at NY radio station WNYU in 2009.

This is an exceptional compilation.  I had never heard the earlier versions of the songs that would make it onto Disma’s debut album.  They sound incredible, maybe a little rawer, but not much.  Mostly the same structures.  I had never heard “The Manifestation” and the 2 songs that were included as a 7” in Towards the Megalith.  These tracks are crushingly heavy.  “And the Dawn of Life Arises” has a killer bass guitar tone and the song is godly.

“Unwept in Oblivion” boasts a depressing song title and the opening beat is total 90’s classic, before erupting into a blast, then the slow funeral dirge like heaviness with Craig bellowing out a ferocious growl is just plain beastly.  The song picks up pace again, before slamming you over the head with a moment that sounded a little like older Asphyx, in terms of doom/death.  This is one of Disma’s best tracks, and Pillard’s growls are phenomenal! The live tracks sound decent, a little extra feedback here and there, but by and large sound great.

If you have never heard Disma, you may not know Craig Pillard, of Incantation fame is the singer.  He sounds just as low, brutal and demonic as he did with Incantation.  The music combines some of the doomy heaviness of Incantation, with the faster moments, but overall are pretty damn original.  The layout of t The Lost Vault of Chaos is exceptional.  All the demos, splits, 7” lyrics and release covers are in the booklet.  There is also a nice photo collage.

While we all sit and wait with bated breath for the new Disma, this is a good pick-up, since Disma are one of the best death metal acts today.  Not many bands can create real heaviness, as Disma does, but with a catchiness and pure respect for the way death metal was meant to be played.  Brutal, dark, heavy and with passion.  Great Band!

 

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