ABYSMAL DESCENT are a Death Metal band from Brussels, Belgium. They were formed in 2025.  "Dismal Thoughts" is their debut album, and it has a length of about 48 minutes. The album was released via Greek label Nuclear Winter Records, which have many Black and Death Metal bands among their current roster. The album starts with the dark and tension-building intro "Discordant Calls", leading into "Labyrinth Of Distress". The track starts very powerfully with thunderous guitar riffing, accompanied by double-bass drumming, and a grim melodic framework. "Labyrinth Of Distress" has a lengthy instrumental beginning at a measured tempo, before it transitions into the verse part. The guitar riffing is devastating, and the tempo starts switching from measured tempo, via mid-tempo, to a faster tempo. The vocals are growls which are around the deeper end of the guttural range with little tonal shifts. The track has a complex structure with many twists and turns throughout the track. Fast parts are typically supported by a few blast-beats and the double-bass drumming. "Labyrinth Of Distress" has bone-chilling melodies throughout and a few progressive vibes. "Death Rope" has a frantic start, and the verse parts are blisteringly fast, supported by the blast-beats. The guitar riffs are punishing and direct, while the melodies are grim. There are twists in tempo and rhythm throughout the track, where fast and mid-tempo parts are alternating. There are a few lead guitar contributions and a short solo, intensifying the darkness of the track. Towards the end, the melodies become more melancholic, and the track finishes acoustically with a short post-lude.

The title track is very aggressive with direct and tight guitar riffing, supported by the blast-beats. The track is played at crazy pace for most parts with a few mid-tempo parts being included. "Dismal Thoughts" includes a break, where the tempo comes almost to a standstill. The break is driven by thunderous guitar riffs and doom-laden melodies. Finally, the track circles back to another verse part at breakneck speed and a frantic chorus part driven by the blast-beats, double-bass, and devastating riffs. "Dismal Thoughts" was released as video, and the YouTube link is provided below. "Obscured Visions" starts with a guitar-driven pre-lude, transitioning into the verse part. The guitar riffing is orientally inspired and that introduces a bit of catchiness. While the track starts at a measured tempo, there are twists and turns in tempo and rhythm throughout, including some parts at insane pace. The melodies are bone-chilling and there are some Doom-inspired parts in particular during the slower parts of the track. Altogether, "Obscured Visions" is one of the album highlights and certainly one of my favorite album tracks. The beginning of "Fragmented Soul" is a 90-seconds guitar intro, providing the main melody of the track. Afterwards, the track goes right into the verse part at crazy pace with tight guitar riffs supported by the blast-beats and the double-bass. The chorus slows down the tempo and returns to the initial melody. There is plenty of chaos during the second half of the track, all played at crazy pace and with some progressive vibes.

"Abyss Of Despair" does not have an extended beginning, it comes right to the point with tight and aggressive guitar riffs at fast pace. The melodic framework is bone-chilling, while the song structure has a lot of complexity. There are plenty of twists and tempo and rhythm, which makes it challenging to follow the track. The break slows down to a measured tempo with blood-freezing melodies, driven by the guitars and the vocals. The track includes a rare, contributing lead guitar solo. "Abyss Of Despair" is arguably the most Doom-inspired album track. The album finishes with "Imaginal Horror" and it starts with a tension-building, cinematic intro by the guitars, leading into the verse part. The guitar riffing is punishing and supported by the blast-beats. While the track starts at a fast pace, it gradually slows down, which intensifies the spine-chilling melodies. As with all album songs, there is a continuous back and forth between different tempi and rhythms. The guitar riffing has once again a few progressive vibes and some technicality. "Imaginal Horror" is a strong end of the album.

ABYSMAL DESCENT release a good debut album. "Dismal Thoughts" goes beyond traditional Death Metal; it smartly blends Death Metal with Doom Metal and progressive elements. The result are songs which come straight from the abyss, in fact "Dismal Thoughts" is one of the darkest Death Metal albums, I listened to in recent times. Album highlights are the guitar riffing and the relentless drumming. Both are the backbone of the album. The album is well produced. ABYSMAL DESCENT lay out a marker in a crowded Death Metal market and with "Dismal Thoughts" they have a promising future ahead of them.