DISBELIEF is a death/thrash metal band based out of Gundernhausen, Hesse, Germany and was formed back in 1990. This is their eleventh full-length release due out February 28^th, 2020 through Listenable Records entitled "The Ground Collapses". As has been the trend with my latest reviews, this is yet another project that I have been following for quite some time. I discovered this band in the early 2000s and always enjoyed their brand of thrashy death metal, so it definitely is a privilege to review their latest opus.

The album begins with the title track "The Ground Collapses". Some effects and ambiance start off the album, with even a few piano notes in there. Mix that melancholic feel with some aggressive slow growls and a perfect transition into some nice sludgy/groovy guitar parts and you have the perfect way to get this album started. Some noteworthy blast beats are here as well and shift the tempo of the song really well. The doomy introduction to "Scaring Threat" has that ominous old school 1990s vibe to it. An easy to follow number in its repetitive structure. It has a great deal of power in the vocals especially which really pierce through the music.

"The Awakening" follows some of those trends as well and really captures that vintage era of death metal with crystal clean modern production. This is the type of song that brings me back to the early days of GOD DETHRONED and UNLEASHED. The chorus is incredibly well delivered and has a bit of the mid-90s ARCH ENEMY sound to it. This song proves a simple point, a song can be intense and aggressive without being all over the place and incredibly fast-paced.

"Killing to the Last" for some unknown reason feels like something that could have been recorded by THE HAUNTED, it has a dirty yet melodic tone that we have come to love in bands like ARMAGEDDON as well. "The Waiting" starts off with some helicopter noises and sirens and really sounds like it could be part of a soundtrack in a zombie invasion. It is apocalyptic in nature and devastatingly sinister in its approach.

"Colder Than Ice" is one of the songs where we can actually hear the drums clearer than any other song. Once again, the band uses some of its doom influences and if I had to make one comparison it would with the band MORGOTH. I would not say the reference is musical, but more in the feeling the song conveys. We get some interesting additional vocal effects in "Soul Constructor" which is one of the fastest songs on the album. By far one of my favorite songs on the album, the vocal ranges are amazing, as is the guitar play here. It has everything I love about death metal, the guttural, the grooves and most of all the intensity.

Another standout track for me was the album closer "Depth of Sorrow" which really dives deep into the cavernous and gritty side of death. The song uses more of a standard thrashy influence and has some very cool slower guitar riffs that will have you banging your head in appreciation. This album really has all the elements I have enjoyed from the band in the past. Some great guitar play, powerful rhythm portions, great drum sound and most of all really solid vocals. I have been blessed to have reviewed some great albums so far in 2020 and this one will please any fan of the death metal revival that really took an amazing turn in 2019.Overall: 9