It’s not terribly often that we find ourselves with a band that manages to bring forth virtually every aspect of extreme metal into one performance that still manages to feel fresh, cohesive, and utterly engaging. Having been around for a lot longer than many others out there, it’s in every recording that Desaster manages to bring forth so much of what extreme metal can offer. With their first offering in five years, Desaster’s return was more than eagerly awaited by many of us with this new offering being just about everything we could ask for.
It should be noted that it’s right out of the gate that Desaster are always instantly poised to live up to their reputation purely given the fact that they have yet to release a lackluster album with each delivering the goods at least in some form or another, and that’s far from different with all that’s brought further within “Churches Without Saints”. While it could be argued that this is a black metal record and nothing more, focusing on the precise genrefication of what Desaster delivers here would be a tremendous disservice to all that this new record offers as that’s the exact opposite of the core reasons that makes this performance so glorious with how inclusive it is with all the different styles that it pulls from in order to make “Churches Without Saints” a powerhouse of intensity of all breeds. Whether it’s the blistering speeds, uncompromising heaviness, or the occasional slow-down that strip mines any glimmer of hope from the soul, there isn’t a single track for the entirety of this record that doesn’t cater to the modern extreme metal fan in some form or another, and it’s with an intoxicating attitude for the entire work that Desaster becomes a real sight to behold even if you disregard all the greatness that they’ve delivered before.
In every way, “Churches Without Saints” is another worthy addition to the discography that this band has built up over years of honing their craft to become one of the deadliest acts of their kind in today’s climate. It’ll be with a single listen that many should come to realize the greatness at play here should they have foolishly not heard the grandeur of Desaster before this.
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