Desolus – System Shock (Satanic Sci-Fi Death Thrash)
Dang these guys don’t live too far from me. They should probably visit, spice up this area with some real music. Currently on tour with legends Spiter, Washington DC’s Desolus appeared rather quickly, and it appears that rather quickly they’re carving a niche for themselves in the darkest regions of post-apocalyptic, Satanic, sci-fi death thrash. Fully prepared to tear limbs from torsos, ignite long-buried nukes, and cannibalize to survive, this trio comes crusted with dried blood, some their own, but mainly from others.
Satanic sci-fi is their game, and Desolus is their name. I saw that in a blurb somewhere and just had to use it (the first part). Mainly because I couldn’t think of anything else, but also because it clearly represents the feeling of listening to System Shock. Desolus play a style of thrash similar to the harsher vein that developed in the mid to late 1980s and verged on death metal with some speed elements. With the muffled grind they present, as well as curious fluctuations in production volume in some tracks, Desolus is at once old and new. You can hear it in their core, but they’re far better at writing their vision than most, which is what sets this apart from most retro thrash I receive. Of particular interest is the vocal delivery, which hearkens back to the earlier era of Satanic heavy metal, yet sounds slightly inhuman, like an imp prattling off curses.
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
Desolus – System Shock
Hells Headbangers
Cover Art: Matt Stikker
4.6 / 5
