DYSANGELIUM formed during 2009 in Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein Germany. The Black Metal band has released a couple of demos during that time as well as two full-length albums; "Thánatos Áskēsis," released during 2014, and the album I'm reviewing today, 2019's "Death Leading."

"XIII" begins the album in a solemn manner. It's essentially a Black Symphonic metal track which is bleak yet dramatic at the same time. It immediately leads into the second track without any sort of break. "Fated" is an aggressive Black Metal track with a strong Death Metal sub-influence. Snarling vocals that berate and demand are a nearly perfect personification of rage. The speed of the song is fast, although it does slow down briefly during the bridge; once the bridge is over the pace picks up again right away. Powerful percussion, a bass-line that makes its presence known and rapid-fire guitars add the crowning touch to the track. I started out today in a rotten mood, but after listening to this track I feel much better. So this is not only a great song, it's therapeutic as well. "Homo Larvalis" is also aggressive, fast-paced and full of anger. The track features more of those berating vocals that grab your attention and refuse to let go. A nice change-up with the music takes place after the first minute and a half. The song's speed slows down as a more rhythm-based sound takes over. It works very well, keeping your focus on the song instead of wondering, for example, why Mondays tend to be so lame; sorry, it's been one of those days. Once the pace picks up again the track moves along smoothly towards its conclusion. It's a grim tune, but I like it anyway. "Death Leading," the album's title track, has an angry sound featuring lots of heavy guitar riffs. The vocals are atonal and harsh, even more so than on the previous songs. The track's pace drags a bit, yet doesn't take away anything from the way the song sounds. While I don't like it quite as much as the first three songs it's still not a bad selection and should appeal to most Black Metal fans.

"The Great Work" is hard-edged with a slower pace. It still features plenty of resentment and rage to appease even the bitterest of souls. The vocals sound closer to a straight-forward rant which adds to the anger being expressed. The song gets really brutal at its halfway point where you'll hear some solid guitar playing that adds much more tension to the song and really sells it. It's an excellent track. i'd suggest listening to this one if you're curious about the band's sound. "Through Henbane Nebulah" is where the vocals take a different direction. I wouldn't calling it "singing"; it'd be more accurate to say that the lyrics are being recited instead. It's one of the heaviest songs on the album, with a powerful, brooding sound that is hard to forget once you've hard it. It's sort of like a volcano that is just on the verge of an eruption; you sense there's a lot more to it than first meets the eye, or ear in this case. The song is a find example of modern Black Metal music. "Venus Inverse" has more of that recital-style of vocalization which opens the track. The music itself is faster-paced, moving the song along at a brisk pace. The track's bass-line is well-defined, as is the percussion. The song also has great rhythm which makes it even more appealing. I like the way the tension level rises as the song reaches its conclusion. It keeps your attention up until the very end. The last track, "When Death And Devil Rise" is best described as "organized discord." Although the whole thing sounds "off" it manages to blend the various chaotic elements in manner that works somehow. The song is disturbing, off-center, and mesmerizing as it plays.  Even though those may not seem like qualities that you'd want in a song in this case it's alright. It's not my favorite song on the album,but I still find it to be enjoyable.

While the music on "Death Leading" is not the most original it's still quite good. If you're an average sort of Black Metal fan like I am then this album will probably make you pretty happy. If you're the type who leans towards more extreme Black Metal then you should probably avoid it because it won't appeal to you as much.