Review Summary: Desolated know exactly what they're doing, and they do it exceptionally well.
Chances are if you’ve heard of Desolated, you’re probably familiar with the ‘crowd killing’ antics of their fans with which they are synonymous. Recently, the band has been the subject of a great deal of equal parts hype and notoriety in making the transition from their deathcore roots to a more straightforward style of beatdown hardcore. On listening to their latest EP Disorder Of Mind, it quickly becomes clear where their intentions lie.
Following the screeching feedback assault that introduces Year Of The Snake, the first thing that becomes clear as the band crashes in with the first crushing downtuned notes is the high quality of the production. Everything sounds crisp and clear; the drums and guitars combine to produce a huge wall of sound, and this gives the palm-muted flourishes a powerful crushing edge. Then, within moments, we come to the beatdown – as the drums cut out and the guitar plays the most sinister riff loaded with intent, it’s impossible not to imagine a live setting and the room exploding into a mass of flying bodies and viciously flailing limbs. After the band crashes in, the moment when the drums go into half-time cranks up the chaos-inducing value another notch. This is the first indication of the band’s intent with these songs – to spark maximum chaos when performed live.
The EP’s second track Death By My Side has been central to the controversy surrounding the band due to its accompanying music video demonstrating their fans in their full-blown ‘crowd killing’ routine. Again, on listening to the track, it becomes clear it was tailor-made for such a purpose; the first riff with its sinister descending note pattern sounds strikingly similar to the beatdown finale just heard in Year Of The Snake, then comes the breakdown before the tempo is slowed right down in utterly devastating fashion for maximum mayhem inducing effect. Again, this is straight up mosh music, and the band make no apologies for it.
The remaining tracks on the EP continue in much the same vein. Suffering and Strung Up have a near-identical structure, both reaching the big beatdown finale as the drums cut out and the guitar plays a simple breakdown riff punctuated by a deathly silence before the band comes crashing in – again, it’s impossible not to envisage the mass of flailing limbs and the band posturing on stage. Closing track Delusions opens with a blast beat and low growls, a homage to their deathcore days, and while it lacks the devastating hard-hitting moments of the songs preceding it, it does an effective job of rounding off a monstrously heavy and enjoyable EP.
In assessing the merits of Disorder Of Mind, it is essential to consider the band’s intention in writing this material. Critics will point to a lack of variation between the songs and a lack of technicality in the riffs and drums. To do so is, quite simply, to miss the point. The band’s guitarist Richy Unsworth summed it up succinctly: “We really just wanted to make the heaviest, most aggressive record we could.” After one playthrough of Disorder Of Mind, it should be abundantly clear that the band have succeeded in doing just that.
