Review: “Disharmony” by Death Reich

“Even though humans are considered by many to be the most intelligent species  on earth, we have proven over and over again that we can not coexist with anyone or anything without there being carnage, famine, eradication, suffering and so forth. As long as this continues there will always be disharmony” ~ Death Reich

Formed in 2018 by a collection of seasoned veteran musicians known for their previous works in Sacramentum, Runemagick, Trident, Grief of Emerald, One Man Army and the Undead Quartet, Grief of Emerald, Decameron SadisticGrimness, Auberon, Brutal Division and Vulcanic to name but a few, Death Reich began their march with debut EP “Death Camp” in 2021 having previously scrapped a demo that felt unfulfilling. Initially playing American old school Scott Burns era Death Metal before an evolution started, founder and original guitarist turned drummer Jonas Blom, vocalist Johnny Lehto, bassist Robert Axelsson and axe wielding duo Christer Bergqvist and Robert Babic returned in with EP “The Final Plague” in 2022. That showcased a new, faster, heavier and perhaps more straightforward sound and was very well received alongside an Entombed cover in tribute to the late great L-G Petrov…

In 2022 the band also recorded album “Disharmony”, continuing a prolific writing streak and their relationship with Dutch label Non Serviam Records. Introduced by the title track, a cinematic piece with depicting all out War with a news reel sample against a backdrop of gunfire and the sound of a bell, it sets the tone and cleanses the mind before the madness of “World War” once again confirms the bands Death Metal prowess. An onslaught that finds Blom providing an artillery shelling of blasting to accompany the flames of the down tuned guitars before a brief moment of whammy bar action, its a monstrous start packed with fire and brimstone. The relentlessness knows no end with “In Serpents Skin” which continues the rampage with hints of influence in early Sepultura, Obituary and Morbid Angel as it plays out, raising the hairs on the back of the neck with a blistering pace and energy. Offering some Thrashier riffs and almost tribal drum fills, “Dissimulation” is an early powerhouse that has at its heart the first real face melting solo of the record before “Hysteria” beats you into submission with whirlwind of circle pit worthy frantic and frenetic riffs. At times Lehto’s vocal reminds of the accenting of Burton C. Bell from the early days of Fear Factory, although Lehto is superior in terms of strength, his gruffer tones and brutal lows holding the attention as he spits pure venom on these cuts. “Oblivion” slices and dices, the tempo change transitions as slick as they come as the band play with dark atmospherics while retaining all of their high octane approach, the solo another stunning slap in the face. A perfectly placed slower and more sinister opening with a bit more groove to it gives a little respite for the opening thirty seconds of “Suffocation“, helping to break up the relentlessness of the record a little before the band once again put the pedal to the Metal and Blom gets a full workout behind the kit.

The riffs simply keep coming with no break in the pace or quality as “Fall Of Kings” flies through the ear drums like a bullet to the brain. Perhaps Lehto’s strongest vocal on the record and his most violent, there is no soft centre or power ballad in this collection, it’s all killer, no filler, go hard or go home from Death Reich and given their collective reputation and prior convictions that should be of no surprise. Death Metal of the finest order continues with the groove laden “Vermin“, the continuation of the battering ram approach aligned with technical proficiency as rewarding as a winning lottery ticket. “Atrocity” is the exception to the formula rule of the album, cutting its own path through the urban jungle by surpassing 5 minutes while the others float face down between two and three minutes in length. If you’re thinking the band are going to use the extra time to flirt with some Sludge or Doom Metal there is none of that, instead they choose to light the blue touch paper with more punishing Death Groove and a screaming solo that flies from the fretboard like a missile from a Fighter Jet. Lehto gargling with blood all the while, drawing out a few moments before being bathed in feedback. That would seem like a natural conclusion to a beast of a record, however Death Reich have one more trick up their collective sleeves with “The Death Of The Peace Of Westphalian“. Dark and mournful acoustic guitars rise from the feedback accompanied by the sound of the cello and a bell to offer up something atmospherically cinematic that simply wouldn’t fit anywhere else on the record [8.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Disharmony
2. World War
3. In Serpents Skin
4. Dissimulation
5. Hysteria
6. Oblivion
7. Suffocation
8. Fall Of Kings
9. Vermin
10. Atrocity
11. The Death Of The Peace Of Westphalian

“Disharmony” by Death Reich is out 17th March 2023 via Non Serviam Records with pre-orders available over at bandcamp