DESOLUS
DESOLUS “System Shock”
By Theron Moore
Mid-Atlantic thrashers DESOLUS are set to release their debut album, “System Shock”, on Hells Headbangers May 10. I’ll cut right to the point. It’s a ten track crusher that’ll cave your skull in and come back for seconds. I was lucky enough to catch DESOLUS live last year at Blades Of Steel Metal Fest in Madison last September. They were the openers and set the bar high that night. Seven months later, the band is gearing up to not only drop their debut record in May but launch a huge U.S. headlining tour to coincide with it as well.
“System Shock” is definitely for fans of KREATOR, DARK ANGEL, and especially SODOM. That’s hitting the generalities. It is for the most part old school thrash played with a venomous edge with somewhat of a death metal component as well. Track four, “Metal Fetishist” is a pretty good example of this.
However you view it or mix it up, DESOLUS’ music is pretty damn vicious to say the least; the aggression factor is definitely peggedhigh on the ole’ aggro-meter. “System Shock” is back to basics thrash with one goal in mind: mosh it up, straight elbows to the face. There’s a real no nonsense quality about this record which drew me in immediately. The music feels stripped down, bare bones, almost as if it were recorded live. This raw, primal factor accentuates DESOLUS’ brand of thrash giving it this larger than life quality.
Standout tracks include “The Sigilite,” “The Invasion Begins,” “Panopticon,” and the title track, “System Shock.” I definitely dug this record a lot because I feel like I know who DESOLUS is, this album gave them an identity, that and the fact that their music is all killer, no filler. Lastly, there’s something of a DIY punk vibe flowing throughout this record (listen to “Panopticon”) which in my book gives “System Shock” even more street cred. All in all a great debut record which I highly recommend, and if DESOLUS is playing nearby I urge you to see them live, they do not disappoint.
4/5 Stars