Wednesday, 16 October 2024

Diskord/Atvm - Bipolarities Split


 Labels: Transcending Obscurity Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 12 Jul 2024


Tracklist:


1. Diskord - Onward! To Nowhere

2. Diskord - Pass The Baton

3. Diskord - Shivering, As We Shed Our Hides

4. Diskord - Cogged Pother

5. Atvm - Cancer

6. Atvm - Morphine


This mega split featuring Norwegian band Diskord and Atvm from the UK was released earlier this year by Transcending Obscurity Records. Gathering two of the most visual and technically endearing death metal bands in Europe right now for a joint release was a stroke of genius. 


Diskord date back to 1999 and have three full-lengths to their name (as well as a few demos, EPs and splits, including this one). Atvm's life started in 2012 (with a demo, two EPs and an earlier split) and you may have already seen them appear on the blog when I reviewed their 2021 full-length Famine, Putrid And Fucking Endless. Now excuse me for a sec while I stare at that artwork!


Diskord have always been one of those bands with excellent artwork, that more than matches their dissonant/progressive take on death metal. Their side on Bipolarities is made up of four incredibly technical yet brief songs starting with ‘Onward! To Nowhere’, which definitely shows off their Atheist/Voivod influences. It’s so good and it’s only the beginning! 


‘Pass The Baton’ is much more dissonant and chuggy at first, before the off-kilter time signatures, jazz-infused bass/percussive elements and psych-infused guitar melodies truly kick in. I’m pretty sure that’s an overly futile effort at describing their sound but I’m not changing it now. I don’t have time anyway as ‘Shivering, As We Shed Our Hides’ quickly takes over the speakers. It’s filled with utterly belligerent drumming that adds to the already insane musicality Diskord possesses.


Diskord’s final song on this split is where they truly save the best (weirdest?) till last. ‘Cogged Pother’ goes in all different directions all the time, even when you think it’s about to settle into a groove. There’s absolutely no point in second guessing how it’s gonna go. Absolutely stunning. Atvm go long with their two songs, starting with ‘Cancer’. It’s on a par in every way with Diskord’s contributions, but with added grit and snarl. I guess you could say it’s dirtier in tone but it is UK death metal after all. Atvm’s progressive song-writing comes to the fore here and gets weirder the longer it goes on. 


Atvm’s second and final song ‘Morphine’ continues down the same path albeit a longer one, full of twists and turns. The slightly repetitive nature of the song up to it’s five-minute mark is somewhat comforting before Atvm once again dial up the proggy instrumentation. Things get no easier from here on out, though a brief moment of introspective guitar clears the mind before it gets musically battered again. 


The closing moments of ‘Morphine’ are filled with excellently played jazz/blues guitar/percussion that sandwiches disgustingly brutal death metal. As I’ve already said, the beauty that exists within the chords and bars of this split are astounding. You really need to hear it to believe it. Diskord and Atvm put on a great display, showing that death metal (and it’s many sub-genres) is in safe hands.


You can stream and purchase this split on all formats from Diskord (via Transcending Obscurity Records below:-



You can also get copies from Atvm here - https://atvm.bandcamp.com/music


Diskord - https://www.facebook.com/DiskordNorway

Atvm - https://www.facebook.com/AtvmOfficial

Transcending Obscurity Records - https://www.facebook.com/transcendingobscurityrecords

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