Thrash, and for that matter, punk has been a seminal influence on Black Metal from its earliest inception. The earliest recordings of acts like Mayhem, Darkthrone, Beherit and a host of others since the mid–1980s clearly reflected the influence of bands like Venom, Kreator, Slayer and Sodom, as well as the burgeoning hardcore and post-punk scenes of the early 1980s.

Eventually, of course, blackened thrash emerged from the Black Metal melting pot.  And ever since, it has unleashed its own wave of aggression and rage with artists like Slaughtered Priest, Urn, Aura Noir and Razor of Occam all recording incendiary, Satanically driven releases that have established the genre as a force in its own right.

Formed in Washington DC in 2019, Desolus (taken from the Latin term desolatus meaning extreme solitude, grief, wretchedness), are one of the latest bands to take the blackened thrash vision further into the chaos of the twenty-first century. New album Dwellers of the Twilight Void is a savage, heavily old-school-inspired album that, while paying homage to past masters like Kreator and Sodom, has a palpably modern-world feel that captures the horror of living in a modern society replete with its stagnant, banal culture and odious social politics.

Opening intro The Portal, sounding like the soundtrack to an 80s VHS horror flick, perfectly sets the stage for the demonic opening track, Dweller of the Twilight Void. Frantic and frequently tripping over itself, the title track sets the tone for the brutal assault that follows. Standout tracks include Women of Infernal Beauty, The Pact and the album’s closing composition, Nefarious Dominion, with its hypnotic main riff and Necro vocal delivery.

Compared to Desolus’ previous release, System Shock, this is a much darker affair, with solid studio production and a fuller sound now that the band have expanded from trio to quartet. The blackened elements are much more present sonically and in the vocals, while conceptually they have dived deeper into creating a horror atmosphere reflecting their stated interest in Satanic science fiction.

In Desolus’ collective mind, the apocalypse is here, and we all reside in the technological dystopia from which there can no longer be any escape, save through honouring the Dark Lord Himself.

A great release and a significant leap forward for the band. We look forward to the next instalment. 

Sample track The Pact  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_NN3LHDAPE&list=RD5_NN3LHDAPE&start_radio=1

Bandcamp  Dwellers of the Twilight Void | DESOLUS

EM Desolus – Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives

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