Disbelief - Worst Enemy (2001)^{Release ID: 11652}

I felt up to facing one of my worst enemies, the heavier side of death metal. This is the kind of devilish aggression I'm normally in a feud with, and yet I can't help but take it on. The chaotic nature smashes me around and leaves me breathless. It's so horrifying yet so good!

OK, I have to agree that this isn't death metal per se. Imagine blending together the standard death metal that you might find in 90s Hypocrisy and Bolt Thrower with the sludgy side of Neurosis and Will Haven, and a bit of Entombed's Wolverine Blues. You end up getting an excellent extreme death 'n' roll/sludge/groove metal sound, that barely any other band has tried.

The heavy opening track "Misery" has a dynamic groove sound, especially in the chorus. The first verse will let you know what you're in for, "Hey you, place called earth! Let me explain to you who I am! I’m your worst nightmare!" Then "Believer" continues the excellent deathly groove. It's one of the most monstrous songs here! You even get to hear some clean singing at the end that works like a charm. "Survive" is slower, though it rises back to the mighty groove. "All or Nothing" has annihilating bass and drums and inhumane vocals, though enjoyment is slightly futile.

"Denial" is entirely slow and melancholic, showing the album's sludgy side. Wonderful vocals and guitars here! "Assassinate the Scars" brings back the groove, this time in a brutal combo with a more death 'n' roll form. The bass and drums are more deathly, though things get more melodic by the end. "Recession" has killer slow riffing. And just when you think the sludge isn't going further...

"Living Wreck" once again has the slow sludgy melancholy. "Humiliation" reigns with the last bit of the deathly sludge/groove sound. The "Outro" is rather pointless, but it's an ominous end to this satisfyingly pummeling experience.

Disbelief seems like the kind of band to really crank up the heat with dark riffing as destructive as a kaiju monster apocalypse. Worst Enemy is an album with the kind of sound I would love to hear more of after gaining the bravery to start off here. So get ready to face a true powerful beast!

Favorites: "Misery", "Believer", "Denial", "Assassinate the Scars", "Humiliation"

Ben’s “The Horde” clan feature release nomination is an interesting one this month. I’d heard just one of the German death metallers eleven studio albums prior to going into it & I’m guessing it would have been around 13 or 14 years ago so I haven’t got the strongest recollection of what it was like. I do recall finding 2003’s “Spreading The Rage” to be generally pretty enjoyable but the fact that I haven’t returned to it in the many years since perhaps gives us an indication that it didn’t blow me away. Ben has a pretty amazing track record at identifying underground releases that’ll appeal to me though so I was hopeful of Disbelief’s 2001 third album “Worst Enemy” leaving me similarly impressed & I’m pleased to say that he’s once again been successful in that cause.

It's kinda strange that Disbelief seem to be universally tagged as a death metal band because I can honestly say that I found very little death metal in “Worst Enemy”. In fact, “Assassinate The Scars” is the only track that I feel satisfies the criteria adequately enough. The rest of the proper songs fit into two categories. On the one hand we have a fairly extreme version of alternative metal that sounds a fair bit like Deftones on steroids. Then on the other we have a darker sludge metal sound that suits front man Karsten "Jagger" Jäger’s vocals nicely given that his angry hardcore tone fits the mould for the sludge model very comfortably. It’s a potent combination actually & it gives Disbelief a sound of their own. Despite the hybrid sound though, there’s a consistency to Disbelief’s approach & it can also be their Achilles Heal at times given that “Worst Enemy” can sound a little samey until you’ve made the investment of time required for the song-writing to open up a bit.

“Worst Enemy” possesses a completely blemish-free tracklisting that’s scattered with genuine highlights, the best of which are the sublime pairing of alternative metal opener “Misery” & heavy-weight sludge affair “Recession” but “Believer” & “All Or Nothing” are no slouches either. I’d probably suggest that the dark ambient outro piece is the weaker inclusion but it’s still fairly enjoyable nonetheless. The passionate vocals of Jäger are Disbelief’s strength as he absolutely screams his fucking head off here & I’d suggest would have needed quite a bit of recovery time afterwards. He commands the listener’s attention at all times & gives the band the edge they needed to see them maximizing their appeal so it’s really hard to see why “Worst Enemy” is still so underappreciated given that it’s so clearly a high quality metal release that still sounds really fresh & relevant even 22 years later.

Ben’s taste in metal is impeccable & he’s once again identified a record that has burst through my defenses to breach the walls of my Hall of Metal Glory. I’d encourage you all to check it out, whether you’re a member of The Gateway, The Fallen, The Horde or even The Revolution.