Disarmonia Mundi

Hello World (in particular Australian radio stations). You should listen to Disarmonia Mundi. Especially if you are any kind of fan of Melodic Death Metal.

Disarmonia Mundi, apart from having a relatively terrible name (what does it even mean? Disarmonia? Mundi? sounds like the kind of lake they unearth pre-human remains from. The Mundi Man.) are a melodeath band from Turin in Italy. While Italy is not generally noted for its metal scene, they have surprised me on more than one occasion, Lacuna Coil, Raintime, Dope Stars Incorporated.

While I could go on about the history and stylistic progression of the band, I'm not going to bother. All you need to know is that the vocals on the two albums that matter (Fragments of a D-Generation and Mind Tricks) are done by Bjorn Strid from Soilwork, and they have two awesome albums. Allow me to do my best to put their music into words in a feeble attempt to make you love them as I do.

They play melodeath with a very Gothenburg sound, along the lines of Soilwork and Dark Tranquility. Probably the line directly in between those two bands. Indeed, I was surprised to find they weren't Scandinavian. Awesome riffs, crazy little synth intros and dynamic vocals (as dynamic as Strid gets anyway). What more do you want from melodeath?

Their second most recent album, Fragments of a D-Generation, was the album that caught everyone's attention. While personally the first two songs bore me, from Red Clouds the thing picks up. With killer melodic guitar, some amazing clean choruses and catchy little synth bits melodeath bands love, I am personally surprised the band does not have that large a following. For those who know them, think Sonic Syndicate mixed with Soilwork, but played by people with skills rather than just repetative drums and samey guitar found with Sonic Syndicate. Highlights are Quicksand Symmetry and A Mirror Behind. They won't win any awards for the lyrics, but they have a heap of energy.

Mind Tricks give the impression that the band were going for a much more serious and meaningful album. And it is, at least musically. The lyrics are either such pure and metaphoric poetry that their meaning escapes me, or Strid just pulled some words out his ass that sound good against the killer guitar. It does sound good though. Probably lends more towards a Sonic Syndicate and Dark Tranquility sound than the last one, but I have to say I the sound more. Resurrection Code and Mind Tricks are the highlights, from Nihilistic Overdrive on it gets a bit more forgettable, but picks up with A Taste of Collapse. A solid album, get Fragments though first if you are new to them.

Basically, if you are any kind of fan of melodeath, particularly the Gothenburg sound, check them out. If you are allergic to myspace, I could upload some samples should people wish, although I could just as easily assist them in the acquisition of either album. Hell, if you like them, buy the album. Then request it on the radio and spread the good word. Who am I kidding, melodeath is not radio material. But I love it.

For further convincing (and also to show off that I have worked out how to embed YouTube videos) here is the video for Red Clouds off Fragments. Not my favourite, but a good song anyway.