D.I.S., Becoming Wrath
D.I.S., short for Destroyed In Seconds, certainly live up to their moniker with this latest slab of crusty, bruising, buzz-soaked D-beat mayhem, Becoming Wrath. Not only do these dudes wear their Swedish influences like faded badges, they also add a bit of a blackened tinge to their sound with the nine energetic tracks on their sophomore release.
These Los Angeles dudes (featuring founding members of Phobia and Mange among others) dont’ just bring the bruising malevolence — though they’ve got it in abundance — there’s also an underlying melody weaving in and out of the buzzing guitars and back-alley beatdown rhythms. The title track leads things off with an intro that is both atmospheric and carries a decent bit of a blackened influence to it before D.I.S. let loose with a blistering volley of d-beat crustiness and vicious, layered vocals sure to get anyone amped in no time. The track is full and powerful, setting the tone nicely for the remaining eight tracks.
“Assimilation” takes a bit more of a hardcore direction as the guys thrash through a brutal, violent three and a half minutes like a bull through a China shop. It’s a fairly straightforward, yet barbaric track that I’ll toss into the “favorite songs” from the album list. “No Guillotine Like the Truth” is a beast of a song complete with pummeling drum work, ferocious vocals and driving guitars. There are plenty of opportunities for you to bark along with the band on this one as they tear you a new exit hole. The layered vocal presentation in this one helps separate it from the rest of the songs nicely. “”Scarabs Nest” brings a solid groove to the mayhem while Built for the End” is another stand-out track with it’s more developed structure and smooth tempo shifts. The atmospheric, blackened vibe returns on the epid sounding album closer, “The Crushing Low.”
I enjoyed D.I.S.’ debut album, but this one buries it six feet under with crushing rhythms and driving riffage. Overall, Becoming Wrath is a scathing and feral beast of an album that delivers more than enough anger and energy while avoiding the trap of monotony quite well. You need this shit.