» Blog Archive Dischordia 'Binge' & 'Purge' Old Habits On New EP -
Evan Conway Hard Music, News, Reviews

Taking creative risks tend to be a thing bands are afraid to make. They’re called “risks,” after all, but why not keep your fans on your toes? That’s not to say your local black metal band needs to incorporate 80’s synthwave into their sound, but breaking the norm is always worth a try. Oklahoma’s Dischordia are willing to take some sort of risk with their newest release, Binge/Purge, as the technical death metal act break the formula a bit and aim for something different by their own standards.

Dischordia is a tough act to define, as they undoubtedly have their own aesthetic and take on tech death; there’s enough of a Gorguts vibe to be found in their music to give you a general idea, but aren’t ripping off the Canadian band in question. Dischordia’s previous releases have all had sizable and complete songs, but the band have narrowed their song count down to two and upped the song length a bit further. With “Binge” coming in around 11 minutes and “Purge” rushing past 13 minutes, the band have aimed for a small offering with big impact. For the most part? It works.

The star of this undoubtedly the production. Raw and enigmatic to the sparkling-clean direction tech death usually takes, Binge/Purge puts the three-piece into a bombastic light that is every bit as ugly as the jagged riffs intertwining through each song. Guitarist Keeno’s tone occupies most of the mix, emulating that Gorguts balance between his and drummer Josh Fallin’s level. It’s vocalist and bassist Josh Turner who 

doesn’t get lost in all of this, as his bass is audible and his vocals are up front and uncompromising to the chaos he’s enveloped in. You can hear it’s three guys doing all of this, but it’s a lot of noise for just the trio to be making.

The difference between the two songs is also highly notable and unrelenting. “Binge” resembles an old Between the Buried & Me song structure with how it constantly builds and builds with very little repetition, all the while sticking to a central musical idea. Dynamics shift, clean guitars become prominent at times, and the song keeps going in a freight-train style structure, but it keeps one engaged with it as it pushes forward. “Purge” is more or less the opposite, as the spastic riffings are traded out for a forward-thinking groove, complete with the band’s dissonant riffing and upfront approach. Dischordia sprinkle in variations in riff passages that range from vocal variations to a change in the drum kick patterns, and their very presence is more than enough to keep it interesting as the songs chug onward.

Binge/Purge is a nice deviation from the norm for the band, and an understandable experimentation that should go over well with anyone familiar with their work so far. With a massive sound to go with longer, much larger songs, Dischordia have made their little creative endeavor pay off in the end. Definitely one of the more interesting death metal releases in a while, and a band I’m looking forward to hearing more from in the future.

Binge/Purge is available for purcahse right here and can be streamed in full there, as well. You can stream excerpts of the EP below.

 

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