Disboskator – Terror in Dreamland

“Terror In Dreamland” marks the debut release for Italian thrashers Disboskator. This sentence alone tells you much of what you need to know about this release, as Disboskator is very much in line with a lot of other Italian thrash bands. This means that “Terror In Dreamland” is overflowing with solid riffs, and usually charges along at a tempo that is sure to loosen up your neck.

One area where Disboskator does differ slightly from most of their contemporaries is that they have a much more organic production. There is no triggering here, as you can hear the kick drum occasionally getting louder or quieter depending upon how much force the band’s drummer is using. This effect isn’t noticeable, but it means that the EP feels a lot more in line with the thrash of old, where not everything was perfect. In a similar vein, some of the riffs are slightly on the technical side, and this leads to the occasional strange time signature that sounds a little off base. Nevertheless, this helps separate Disboskator from the crowd, as it resembles something Metallica might have done on “…And Justice For All”, for example.

This slight leaning towards more technical and progressive music means that the band can veer into mid-paced territory quite successfully. Whereas most thrash bands fail at writing compelling mid-paced riffs, Disboskator manages to create interesting melodic sections with notes ringing out to counteract more predictable chugging. This is most evident on “Looking For Immortality”, which takes the listener on a serious journey through numerous melody-infused moments, including a bluesy guitar solo.  

Perhaps put a bit more accurately, Disboskator plays thrash that doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but that also does have its own unique identifiers. It is quite clear that the band is well-studied in the ways of bands like Heathen, Coroner, or Paradox, but is able to combine this with the simplicity of more standard thrash groups like Testament or Exodus. This occurs on the opening of the title track, where some wicked galloping are mixed in with more dissonant intervals, combining the evil side of thrash with a slightly more technical element. The end result of this type of songwriting is a compelling EP that is sure to satisfy the cravings of the average thrasher!

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Highlights

"Looking For Immortality"

"The Impossible New Era"

Final Rating

4.0/5 or 80%. 

Written by Scott