If Wolves In The Throne Room and Panopticon were to create a artistic hybrid of both progressive and atmospheric black metal with hints of melodic black and progressive metal structures, it would be Chicago’s Dismalimerence. Released through Transcending Records, this is a album that has met my expectations very highly for anticipated releases in 2020 and this might be my absolute favorite black metal album of the year thus far. From it’s beautifully crafted instrumentals, luxurious melodies, outstanding production value and gorgeous album artwork to the wonderful, complex, and diverse arrangements from the songs itself, this is a release that will take many leaps and bounds to make something incredibly special, memorable and downright awesome.
Moments you hear songs such as Negligence of the Forgotten, Crimson Glow, and My Only Love to Pragma, you’ll get features of emotional and soaring vocals, great bass tone, stellar guitar signatures, audible drumming and every track will engage the listener on a journey through the everlasting universe which makes them feel the air gushing in the skies or shivers down their spine to bring out a modern day album that’ll not only be influential in the world of underground music but for black metal and its cataloging genres.
But for the music is concerned, you get influences from all sorts of wide branches of black metal from the folky side of Saor, to the atmospheric and sophisticated style of Wayfaerer to even some elements from Woods Of Desolation to name a few just proves that not all black metal is considered to be hateful, abrasive and cohesive but rather soothing, melodic, luxurious and breathtaking is really about its beauty and nature to get a sense what Dismalimerence is trying to paint and portray listeners into the next wave of American black metal. Tome: 1 is a album that takes everything from it’s unforgiving musical compositions, depressive and melancholic stylistic arrangements and these Chicagoans prove their talent to the world that black metal still is one of the most expansive genres in extreme music today.
Overall Score: 9.0/10
Review by Jake Butler
