What calls down spiraling red-clouded skies overhead into suffocating fog below reveals impending bestial invaze as Rovaniemi/Oulu, Finland-based black/thrash metal duo DISEMBODY hell-storm over Earth inciting a chorale of desperate screams with this familiar but brilliantly authentic sophomore full-length album. No less driven by the extreme and diabolic thrash metal of the mid-to-late 80’s their work on ‘Awakening of Ancient Evil‘ might bear some notable reference to the great old ones in its gait but they’ve done a fine job of branching out in subtle and not-so subtle ways within the ambitious expanse of this riff-driven, aggressive recording. Dialed into the right sound, hitting the right standard for the riff with sinister mettle on display this second record offers a new high point for this well-studied studio only crew.

Disembody formed back in 2019 under their original name Disincarnate after vocalist, guitarist, bassist J.J. and drummer A.H. linked up on an online metal forum and met soon after. By the end of that year they’d written, recorded and released their debut EP (‘Diabolical Deathstrike‘, 2019) attaining a decent analog sound and a few ‘Show No Mercy‘ worthy and Sabbat (Japan) inspired moments. It was a solid contribution to the witching metal cause but wasn’t broadly noticed at the time, at least not on the level of their debut LP (‘Reigniting Hellfire‘, 2021) which released to modest acclaim a few years later. Touting a black/thrash/speed metal style it definitely had riffs but my only memory of that record was being asked by their label to premiere it in 2022 and then only realizing it’d been released a year earlier once it was already posted. Their interest in ‘old school’ evil heavy metal was clear and J.J.‘s guitar work/arrangements particularly impressed for the sake of not having to fill in too many blindspots with neothrash features and not plainly lining up trope after trope.

Per its title ‘Awakening of Ancient Evil‘ pushes deeper into a late 80’s underground standard for its foundation, achieving an immediately recognizable air of authenticity in terms of both style and sound design (engineered, mixed/mastered by Tatu Säteri @ Äänipanimo Studio). The darkly shaken reverb applied to A.H.‘s drum sound lends a hazy, dead-ancient echo to all proceedings resembling the intent of the band’s first album but in a hairier state. This refinement shines from the first piece, “Witchhammer”, where the duo deploy a dab of ‘Seasons in the Abyss‘ in Disembody‘s advance as they fire up before evolving closer to early Sodom and Sepultura inspired black/thrash over the course of its ~7 minute extent. The first several songs on Side A offer a certain ‘old school’ militance lead by strong lead guitar work which is yet prone to cross over toward more traditional heavy metal inspired movements, pulling the bands signature away from modern speed metal tropes and closer to their suggested inspiration taken from ‘Beyond the Gates‘-era Possessed. A great first impression which’d only intensify with each pass.

The longest pieces on ‘Awakening of Ancient Evil‘ offer the greatest interest overall and largely for the sake of patient presentation and obscure, sinister temperament rising within Disembody‘s travels. “God of Funerary Rites” takes its time saunter through its eight minute mid-paced first wave black metal groove, a nod of circa ’87 Bathory within a piece one could easily mistake for something from LP-era Poison (Germany). Much as I’d expected the full experience to rely upon the confrontational cut of South American thrashing wrath this was a great surprise, something more resolutely “black metal” in terms of its read which also develops its own cryptic atmosphere at its peak. An important cap to Side A and a key track for infusing some variety/dynamism into what is otherwise a riff heavy auld thrash-fed experience.

The mutinous downstroked groove of “Desolation” stands out from that point, a fine crypt level heavy metal rant that sidles up well beside the Slayerized bullet-belt slinging “Saints are Burning”, the most ‘Terrible Certainty‘ informed portion of the record beyond its kick off. Side B more-or-less replicates the motion of the first half of ‘Awakening of Ancient Evil‘ and naturally peaks in conclusion via closer/title track “Awakening of Ancient Evil” where Disembody crack into some of the best riffcraft in their wheelhouse. That really is the main point to make here, the riffs hit the right “evil thrash metal” current without relying on either sheer speed or maniac rawness for effect as the duo highlight their exacting study of the old ways sans compromise. It is all a step up from the good spot they were already in back in 2021.

The appeal of ‘Awakening of Ancient Evil‘ is as straightforward as the execution here as Disembody‘ve focused on the right stuff here, a proper take on extreme thrash metal that avoids the usual dry revisionism, sidestepping the speed n’ roll aspect of black/thrash to superior results. While the duo’s debut was a revelation for how quickly it’d come together in its thrash-forward style this second record seems to have achieved the major goals set forth by the band both in terms of style, sound and much higher quality guitar work. There should be some meaningful crossover appeal here beyond the black/thrash ear as any classics-enshrined thrash fan should appreciate the riffs delivered herein. A high recommendation.

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