Navigator

Disbelief are from Germany and they’ve been around for a while. They debuted in 1997 and have been going pretty strong since. “Navigator” is their seventh and most recent release. This is also the only album I’ve heard.

The album starts off sounding like brutal European death metal. But it's not long before Disbelief hit a groove and then another and another and you know this is not your standard fare. Residing firmly in the now crowded “extreme metal” genre yet managing to sound original and interesting. Disbelief are a most interesting find.

The band is driven along by the roar of vocalist Karsten Jager who fucking kills it on “Navigator.” Third song on the album, “The One” is a strong song while sounding vaguely like Isis before blasting some proper death metal. The clean vocals on the song are nicely done and Disbelief are pretty good at atmosphere. The very next song “The Thought Product” has a jumpy American metal riff before a breakdown that’s all Prong and then settling down to some melodic death metal styles. This should be a mish mash of styles that should fall flat on its face and yet Disbelief just pull it off superbly.

“Passenger” is an awesome doom metal song that has a melodic feel without sacrificing the heaviness. Mid album is where “Navigator” really comes good with the aforementioned “Passenger,” and “Falling Down” which is a moody yet supremely heavy and pissed off sounding song. The album closes with another strong song in “Sacrifice.” A slow lumbering intro gives way to a monster riff and this song just destroys.

Disbelief show a great control over dynamics though out “Navigator,” adding slower softer passages on most of the songs and completely bludgeoning you by going heavy a second later. It also helps that Navigator’s production sounds decidedly old school. The songs have a certain jam feel to them and they grow on you with successive listens.

Navigator is an album that deserves a listen. Be a man!

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