Disbelief returns for a new battle.
Formed in 1990 and led since then by Karsten Jäger (vocals, ex-Morgoth), then Jochen Trunk (bass, Sacrifire), David Renner (guitar, ex-Painful), Marius Pack (guitar, ex-Verdict) and Timo Claas (drums, Miseo, ex-Lay Down Rotten), the band announced in 2024 the release of Killing Karma, their eleventh album, on Listenable Records.
The album opens with a touch of sweetness on the introduction to Reborn, but this quickly transforms into a heavy abrasive melody as it welcomes saturation and massive vocal parts. Accelerations reinforce the savage aspect before letting the lively Killing Karma take over with much more energetic riffs and piercing guitars coupled with heady patterns, then it’s with groovy influences that The Scream That Slowly Disappeared strikes, creating an oppressive atmosphere. A few clean vocal parts contrast with the dark tones, leading to With Deep Regret where pessimistic harmonics once again lend their color to the haunting atmosphere. Steamy notes join raucous cries before blending with the furious rhythm and then A Leap In The Dark, which offers a more measured approach, exploiting Sludge’s heaviness tinged with Death Metal’s violence with intriguing melodies. Inhuman Whore places a few murmurs to let us catch our breath, but the riffs charge in immediately afterwards, creating a wave of raw power quite unlike Morbid Man, the following ominous composition which slowly moves forward at first before bursting into flames and trampling us at full speed. Condemnation barely takes the time of an introduction to integrate its cutting Thrash influences with an obvious fury, which is nonetheless occasionally melodic, as on Flash Of Inspiration, where slowness reclaims its rights in the company of intoxicating harmonics and visceral vocal parts. A similar feeling can be found on The End Of Gods, which conveys the most intense despair in its haunting march, where only the double kick allows itself to charge up to join the keyboards of This Last Order, which immediately develop the majestic approach. The riffs strike back, fuelling again this latent aggression, before Millenium imposes its catchy, almost military allure, on which the vocal parts come to life between two federating choruses, then the album comes to an end with the crazy harmonics of Fragile Aeon, which proves that aerial, heart-rending elements can combine perfectly with the Germans’ crushing basis and greasy touch.
Disbelief are still in top form, and they offer another handful of extremely effective compositions on Killing Karma. Although a little long, the album is packed with catchy riffs that will win you over with ease!
95/100
