Year Of Desolation – “Self-Titled”

Death Metal is a genre which hails from Europe, and as many people know, there aren’t really a lot of bands from North America that can match the pure talent of these European groups. Year of Desolation however, is an exception. Straight out of the home of the Indy 500, the band hails from Indianapolis, Indiana and just so happens to be one of those Death Metal bands that tries to steer clear of the breakdowns that Metalcore tend to possess. This five-piece of brutal mayhem consists of Chad Zimmerman (vocals), John M. Hehman II (guitar/vocals), Joshua Kappel (guitar), Michael Vandergrift (bass/vocals), and Matthew Boehner (drums).

The self-titled album opens up with “Elitist Death Squad,” which actually kind of reminds me of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation; Kahn’s death squads that he sends after Lui Kang and the rest of the mortals. The lyrics to this track are indeed very sadistic. Chad’s menacing growls almost literally shove razor blades and broken glass into the mouths of the people that won’t listen to him. Due to the sadistic manner of the lyrics, I know I wouldn’t want to get on Chad’s bad side.

“Forged In The Flames Of Malcontent” is sixth on this LP and the intro to this track is utterly sick! The timing the entire band possesses is amazing, making the entire track sound spot on perfect. The song’s lyrics are bone chilling, especially when Chad repeats “everyone will die alone.” That thought kind of scares me to be honest with you.

The final track on the album is “All In Vain.” Remember how I mentioned that the band tries to steer clear of breakdowns? Well this track actually has a few, kind of giving it a little nudge in the direction of Metalcore. But Chad’s vocals give it the appropriate nudge right back into the direction of Death Metal. After the track ends, you have to wait a long ass time to hear the hidden track. 18:45 passes by before said track begins and it sure isn’t anything like the rest of the album. It’s slow, gentle, and melodic; sort of like listening to rain drops falling onto the soft grass of an open field.

On the whole, the entire album was a lil piece of perfection. No timing falters or anything of that matter that could drag down the overall oomph of the album. The entire band have their own unique talents, which will only grow stronger as the years progress. One day, maybe during a “year of desolation,” these guys will become the greatest band on Earth. I give this album a 10/10.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Elitist Death Squad
02. Running The Gauntlet
03. Suffer Thy Nemesis
04. Erasing Your Existence
05. The Economy of Excess
06. Forged in the Flames of Malcontent
07. Gorge
08. 593
09. The Cleansing
10. Consume The Destroyer

Run Time: 1:08:00
Release Date: 2007