ALBUM REVIEW: Failure, Subside – Départe

Over the last decade the Australian metal scene has thrived with the likes of THY ART IS MURDER, NORTHLANE and PARKWAY DRIVE in particular achieving critical acclaim across the world but this Tasmanian quartet show no sign of intimidation in unleashing their own unrelenting barrage of devastation upon the human race. Considering they only formed in 2012, DÉPARTE have already shared the stage with metal heavyweights GORGUTS, ULCERATE and NE OBLIVISCARIS as well as signing to Season Of Mist who are synonymous with harbouring some of the biggest names in Black Metal amongst their arsenal is a huge statement of intent that DÉPARTE are very much equipped to steamroll anyone who stands in their path.

The opening track to Failure, Subside entitled Sea Of Glass immediately sets the tone for the album with an array of unsettling jarring riffs that almost lure you into a false sense of security with their considerably restrained tempo. This is soon remedied by a wall of pulsating bass drums that burst into life accompanied with raspy, shrieking vocals to introduce Ashes In Bloom. The guitars almost take a backseat as they become more an eerie, minimalist accompaniment to the bludgeoning onslaught. The melodic vocals provided by Sam Dishington are a welcome addition almost providing a temporary respite to the savagery that is unfolding.

The brutality ebbs and flows very unpredictably as you try to catch your breath preparing yourself for the next wave and Grief Echoes is where the album really begins to gain momentum. You can almost sense an air of hopelessness and despair in Sam’s voice which just adds another level of raw emotion to the dark tapestry.

Mara’s Choir may be the shortest track clocking in at under two minutes but it feels just as vital in the albums progression providing what feels like a very intense and unnerving preparation for what’s to come. Vessels provides the standout performance of the album which summarises the album perfectly with the opening lyrics “There’s no light here” and in combination with the chilling voice extract which commences the final track aptly titled Ruin they provide two of the most harrowing sections in the album.

Despite being very minimalist in its construction it is a very intense collection of tracks that may require a few listens to fully digest. The production is razor sharp and Failure, Subside really shows the progression of Black Metal and how far it has developed as a genre compared to back in its infancy when a lot of the riffs would become lost in amongst muddy distortion. It is a shame that the vocals are such a sparse contribution as they really add that extra visceral element to what is a very consistent and punishing debut from DÉPARTE.

Rating: 8/10

Failure, Subside is set for release on October 14th via Season of Mist.

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