Disgunt
Disgunt's first release "To Purge The Plague"
by Tommy Rage
February 2018
Disgunt from Madison, Wisconsin
Never has a hard-hitting metal sound ever been so simple yet so well crafted. Based out of Madison, Disgunt is full-frontal assault in angst of what the band likes to call ‘Slam Tech Death Metal’. Having previously put together a 4 song EP, the four friends who have known each other for about ten years, honed their skills on their first full length 10 track release
To Purge The Plague
. Comprised of previous death metal bands, the group began as a side project and grew into a full-time band. “We had recorded an EP even before we started playing out”, shares lead vocalist Trent Kremeier, “We’ve been playing out for about two years together. Our very first show had over two hundred people through the door, that’s when we realized it wasn’t just a side project.”
To Purge The Plague
is anything but a side project.
A barrage of double bass drums from Aaron Bundy kicks off the first song ‘Epidemic With A Violent End’ with attitude. “We always tell Aaron he sucks on drums as a joke of course, but he has about ten years of technical training, so the stuff we are doing in Disgunt is easy for him”, noted the lead singer. A quick and flawless change in tempo ‘Circle Of Life Lost’ summons you into the mosh pit. With a sludging bass line from Steve Wilkes, Disgunt moves beyond the standard death metal sound. “We have guys in the band who are technically savvy and who are able to make the tempo changes go a little smoother instead of just being faster or slower,” shared lead guitarist Ian Smedbron, “that’s the kind of mood we wanted to create.” Ian’s low and aggressive guitars on ‘When Violence Becomes Moral’, match perfectly to the deep growls of lead singer Trent Kremeier. Using all 9 strings of his Agile guitar, Ian shells the title track
To Purge The Plague
from front to back. “Ian used to play an 8-string guitar, but he decided we weren’t low enough with our sound, so he added more strings”, shares the baritone vocalist, “now I have to figure out how to match him [laughter].” Ian also produced the album and focused his efforts on both playing and producing their first release with a ‘Slam Tech Death Metal’ sound. “We are a death metal band in spirit with our riffs, but we change the song structure and we added an element of surprise too”, explains the shedder Ian, “on ‘Piss On The Ashes’ we have a hard-core build up which goes into a black metal guitar riff, you would expect a hard-core break, but we change it up.”
Beginning from the intro song ‘The Culling’, and throughout the tightly woven album, a clear yet hard core sound exists. Ian and Trent emphasize that “Steven (bass) did the mastering on the album and brought a lot of energy to it. It’s the same for our shows, even though he is our newest member, he brings a lot [laughter].” With this sound of ‘Slam Tech Death Metal’ Disgunt tells a full album story, explains Trent, “The album is definitely a concept album. We had the idea of doing a concept album, but it didn’t get legs until we set the mood with the music. It’s a story of a guy who isn’t necessarily a good guy, but he has these voices who talk to him inside his head. Throughout the album he has flickers of his conscience, so he fights it off, but afterwards the voices take over.” The well-crafted story concludes and leaves you wanting more. Shared Ian, “We already started writing new stuff for another album. Even before we started recording this one, I had more. I’m kind of a music vomit person, I write all the time. There are always ideas we are working on.”
The in-house crafted album is a must have for supporters of local Death Metal. Having put in the years playing and writing
To Purge The Plague
, Disgunt is excited for their CD release party. Five bands are schedule for the February 3 release party, proclaims Ian, “We have stacked a line-up of awesome regional bands for our release party. I’d be happy just to go to the show and watch all the other bands play.”
The Disgunt CD release party is February 3 at the Frequency 121 W Main St Madison WI. Doors open at 8:00 PM.
Disgunt
CD: To Purge The Plague