Disembodied Heretic

This Minneapolis band wasn't around all that long, but Disembodied quickly made a name for themselves by belting out punishing metalcore. The group isn't particularly diverse, and you won't find a wide variety of stylistic nuances on Heretic, but Disembodied is heavy as hell and you're sure to satisfy your metal cravings with this effort. As soon as the first track, "Cynic", kicks off, you'll know exactly what Disembodied are about. They are about brutal vocals, driving grooves, and riff after riff of downtuned metalcore. Traces of Slayer, Machine Head, and others can be heard on Heretic, but Disembodied is probably heavier than anyone they seemingly draw from. The part scream, part growl vocals remain unchanged throughout the album, with an occasional talked or whispered line. The band is always loud, but there are enough tempo variations to keep one guessing. The biggest weakness of Disembodied appears to be the lack of sonic variation. Many of the songs, especially towards the end of the album, seem to run together and are difficult to differentiate from others. The bands seems to be at their best when they're throwing in those electronic sounding guitar bursts and allowing some breathing room amongst the metal carnage. While a few of the songs aren't too interesting, there are several gems, including "Cynic", "7 Stitches", and the tasty "Barbiturate". Bottom Line: Although they're not always at the top of their game, when the band is hot, they're hot. The album really is a brick in the wall of classic metalcore music, and should at least be sampled. Note: Since the breakup of Disembodied, several of the members have gone on to form Martyr A.D.