Desolus - System Shock - CASSETTE COLOURED

Hailing from the Mid-Atlantic United States, DESOLUS formed in 2019 at the beginning of the pandemic. Inspired by Sodom, Kreator, and Dark Angel, Jimmy Frost (guitars and vocals) and Vivek Rangarajan (bass and vocals) wrote songs as an outlet for the feeling of what seemed to be the end of times. As time went by and the dust settled, they traveled north to Baltimore, where they recorded a series of demos with Sebastian Phillips (Exhumed / Noisem / Castle Freak). Phillips engineered and tracked drums on these demos in hopes to release it for the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia) metal scene. While recording these songs, they met Travis Stone (percussion), a former member of Noisem and current member of Pig Destroyer. Stone heard the songs and was on board as soon as the first riff played. Soon after, he began rehearsing with the band day in and day out until they were ready to take their music to the streets. DESOLUS gained traction within the DMV music scene over the span of a few years and began traveling across the United States to spread their love of old-school thrash.

Now, at long last is DESOLUS' imminent debut album ready. Titled System Shock, the power-trio's first full-length consists of nine ripping songs featuring themes of horrors beyond this world, Satanic science fiction, and a dystopian future that is seemingly within arm's reach. While there's no shortage of bands still thrashing like the 1980s never ended, DESOLUS immediately and irrevocably prove that they're indeed the Real Deal: System Shock pumps adrenaline and stirs bloodlust with an energy and elan that are impossible to ignore - and even more impossible to deny. But beyond the band's energy overload is a deeply ingrained understanding of what made those aforementioned legends of Sodom, Kreator, and Dark Angel so vital: strong songwriting, and the razor-sharp execution to back it up. Each member here is superlative with his given instrument, locating that elusive middle point between ultra-tight and ultraviolent, and the trade-off vocals between Rangarajan and Frost in particular impart a madman's touch to this already overflowing buffet of high-speed metal. Add to this an absolutely devastating production courtesy of Phillips and System Shock becomes mandatory listening for those who fly high the flag of hate and still feel persecution mania. DESOLUS are here to reanimate the graves of the old gods!