Dysemblem isn’t done yet.
Following their latest EP in 2021, the English band led by Aees (instruments/vocals, Phaëthon, Vora) and Nuctemeron (drums, Burial Hordes, Necrovorous, ex-Embrace of Thorns, ex-Winter Eternal…) has remained silent, but they’re set to return in 2026 with their third album, Buried by the Weight of Light, in collaboration with Memento Mori.
Descent makes no compromises and immediately strikes with an abrasive sound, whether through the screeching guitars or the rough vocals, instantly giving us the sensation of being hit head-on by the riffs before they begin to slow down. The sound then becomes heavier, fully embracing its Doom roots to amplify the gritty edge while remaining haunting, before accelerating again for the short Punishing Things, a track featuring a very direct rhythm section that will batter us for its two minutes, then hands the baton to Graven Gardens, where the duo returns to a more mysterious approach. Distant screams heighten the anxiety as the rhythm section is reduced to a heavy minimalism, only to return to repetitive, crushing riffs that occasionally allow for brief epic outbursts, leaving us with a bitter aftertaste before launching into Treasures of Terror. The pace picks up again to deliver a catchy mid-tempo section that gradually slows down, returning to those haunting sounds that remain intense in their own way within the Doom/Death dynamic, occasionally introducing melancholic touches, before the mix ignites, pairing blast beats and growls with ferocious riffs. The final is unsettling yet fairly calm, taking advantage of a moment of clear sound before Excavation Nightmares kicks in, holding our attention before unleashing its fury at a brisk pace, driven by a solid blast beat over which riffs and growls emerge as they please. After a burst of macabre madness, we move on to Under the Aegis of Thunder, which returns to unbridled violence for the first part of the track, but which suddenly introduces an intriguing dissonant touch before racing full speed ahead once more toward Chariots, a slow and lengthy final composition with guitars smoldering with anguish and oppression that intensifies toward the end and closes this album on an excellent note.
Dysemblem had taken a hiatus for a while, but their return is a wonderful thing, given the quality of Buried by the Weight of Light! Heavy roots take center stage while occasionally allowing for a few more intense touches, and the balance is perfectly managed.
85/100