Disavowed – Revocation of the Fallen (Brutal Mind)

Friday, 31st July 2020
Rating: 8.5/10

There’s got to be at least a few folks who have a recollection of Disavowed’s first full-length, Perceptive Deception, which came out back in 2001. Brutal death metal at its finest, with some nods to bands like Suffocation, Severe Torture, and Deeds of Flesh. They followed it up in 2007 with Stagnated Existence, and then there was a long period of silence, bringing us up to the band’s third release, Revocation of the Fallen.

Disavowed have not lost any of their menace or aggression over the years, that’s for sure. Revocation of the Fallen is decidedly brutal and it thankfully stays up with the times (but not too much). So while the brutal death metal piece to the band is wholly intact, and their Suffocation-esque approach to tech still stands, there’s a modern coating to it that makes it avoid sounding dated or like a direct line to their previous material. It’s essentially a musical battering ram from start to finish, and that’s all it needs to be in this case. The pulsating rhythms, driving riffs, and frequent drumblasts all hit their desired marks without becoming stale. Why? Disavowed know how to bring in effective dynamic shifts as appropriate. “The Inevitable Outcome” pounds from out of the gate with some technically playful riffs, but even within a span of less than 3-minutes they get into some weighty grooves (catchy too) and devastating slower tempos. The music stays utterly heavy, no matter how fast Disavowed try to go. The low gutturals may not be terribly decipherable, but they do add a dominating presence to the band and keep the energy incredibly high.

Disavowed hasn’t lost a step in their time away from the brutal death metal realm, and they come back swinging heavily with Revocation of the Fallen. It’s nice to see a band like this come back and channel the best of what got them started (‘00s brutality in this case) while allowing for some upgrades in the sound to give it that added touch. A must for fans of any of the acts mentioned above.

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