DESOLATE TOMB is a one-man band from Oklahoma City,USA and Dakota Whiteside is the guy who is responsible for everything that is happening there. This project exists since 2018 and in 2019 the debut album "Cast from God's Sight" was released. Five years later, in 2024, comes the time for the follow-up record titled "Scorned by Misery". It should be mentioned that in terms of lyrics, Dakota Whiteside writes about his personal struggles and his belief in the Christian God but don't expect some type of a Death metal preacher, this guy just writes down what he feels in his everyday life. As for the music, "Scorned by Misery" offers ten tracks of Death metal mixed with a more modern Deathcore sound.

The start is given by the title track "Scorned by Misery" which has a guest vocalist in the face of Jon Davenport from CULTIST. This track has blastbeats, heavy guitar riffing, masterful guitar solo and deep guttural vocals mixed with higher screams. Of course there is also the mandatory crushing breakdown part. There is definitely a DYING FETUS influence even though DESOLATE TOMB don't offer such technical musicianship. "The Hands That Mar" follows with grinding swaths on the drums, somehow this track reminds me of Polish BEHEMOTH, probably due to the insane speed in the beginning and some of the more Black metal guitars. "Writhing in the Bowels of Hell" comes with the guest appearance of a guy called Robert Manzone, this track is more mid-tempo than the previous two and have a very heavy breakdown part.

"All is Dust" has two guests - Matthew McNamara and Sam Dishington - and the result is a variety of grunting, growling and screaming with pummeling blastbeats in the background. The intriguingly titled "Tormented by the Succubus" follows the same pattern, brutal heavyness and grinding drums but here we have slightly melodic guitar parts. "Sheepskin" comes next with an up-tempo rhythm which then turns into a punishing slow part, "Spitting Nails" has a certain MESHUGGAH vibe due to its non-standart rhythm patters. "Yearning Maw of Persecution" with guest vocals by Jaden Pruitt, delivers some decent guitar work and lots of speed in the drum department while "Trail of Tears" starts with chants from some native Indian tribes before going into a brutal sonic assault. The final song is "The Suffering Fields" which has some MORBID ANGEL influenced guitar parts combined with the Deathcore breakdown moments.

DESOLATE TOMB's music is far from original but the efforts of Dakota Whiteside to offer a sincere sounding music should be praised. If you are into Deathcore then "Scorned by Misery" is an album to look out for!