DISARRAY
"In
the Face of the Enemy" (Eclipse Records)
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
"In The Face Of The Enemy" is Disarray's fourth album and second for Eclipse Records. GWAR
front-monster Oderus Urungus took such a liking to the band he took them under their wing. While I
have not heard Disarray's other CDs I can say that I know that they are hungry for success due to
their relentless touring and willingness to promote their music by any means possible.
"In The Face Of The Enemy" is built around old-school metal riffing, Southern sensibility (hell, these guys are from Tennessee), and a healthy balance between discontent of modern life and positive thinking. However, "In The Face Of The Enemy" is surprisingly free of angst.
I hear a lot of Entombed in Disarray's gritty brand of hard rockin' metal on "In The Face Of The Enemy." I also hear a lot of James Hetfield and Phil Anselmo in the vocals which is not a bad thing. The songs have well-above average riffs and steady, but never redundant, song-structures that thankfully never get boring.
"Neverending Quest For Revenge" grooves like a bad-ass mo-fo while the propulsive "To This Day" has all the requisite guitar-based crunch a metalhead could ever ask for. "Voice Of Reason" chugs along with a defiant attitude and the almost punk-ified "Path Of No Regrets" is an ode to chasing your dreams with no compromises. "Powers That Be" has some fluid musical moments that make it one of the more distinctive tunes on the disc and a classic Southern acoustic-flavored rock number "Life Is Gone" ends the album.
Disarray's brand of straightforward hard rock/death'n'roll isn't my normal cup of tea, but I can easily imagine adding it to a eclectic, but not entirely unrelated, rotation of Entombed, Babylon Whores, Metallica, Unleashed, Black Label Society, Down, October 31, Corrosion Of Conformity, and Overkill in the old 10-CD changer. At the very least, Disarray will suck you into their world of chaos with catchy rhythms.
As an added bonus there is very cool Jeff Gaither artwork that makes "In The Face Of The Enemy" a truly complete package. Guest performances on "In The Face Of The Enemy" include GWAR's Oderus Urungus on backing vocals and Balsac The Jaws Of Death on guitar on the track "I'll Be Standing."
"In The Face Of The Enemy" was produced by Dave Brockie (GWAR).
Disarray is Chuck Bonnet on lead vocals and guitars, Vance Wright on bass and backing vocals, and Dave Peridore on drums.
For more information visit http://www.disarrayonline.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the
cover makes you wanna hurl.
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