Labels: Self-Released
Formats: CD/Digital
Release Date: 20 Feb 2026
Tracklist:
1. Obsidian Tomb
2. Chaos Absolute
3. Kaiju
4. Death Shroud
My Laptop has been doing all kinds of weird things today. The weirdest of all was when the screen decided to glitch and the mouse stopped working in unison, only for couple of seconds though, but enough time for it to become really annoying. With that minor grumble out the way though, February looks like it's going to set a new record for the blog. I might mention it at the end of the month.
I took last week off with the aim of getting a few things written up and published, but as fate would have it I didn’t even get close to achieving what I wanted to. We’re now into a new month and I’m handing the floor over to US progressive death/thrash band Dissentience as they self-released their latest EP Kaiju just a couple of weeks ago. Opener ‘Obsidian Tomb’ has the kind of instrumental intro/build-up that absolutely screams progression before the full band kicks in with a sound that’s more akin to metalcore. When I mention metalcore though, I’m talking about the melodic nature of their sound, as that sub-genre has always been more musical and indeed palatable I guess.
Talking of palatable; I was looking at the line-up for this year’s Download festival in the UK the other day and I think it’s growing into a more mainstream festival (compered to when I attended in 2006 and 2007), and while it’s embracing nu-metal once again this year, there are a lot of acts that perhaps belong on different bills. Dissentience would be the perfect addition for a future line-up though, as they epitomise the spirit that the likes of Bullet For My Valentine and Trivium left on that hallowed ground. I say that as ‘Chaos Absolute’ presents Dissentience at their most off-kilter and unpredictable. I’m here for heaviness that keeps me guessing and there’s plenty of that throughout this rager!
I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before but this EP brings the same chills I felt when I heard the first EP from fellow US metalcore band A Wanted Awakening. There are few bands that have properly buried themselves within my muscle memory throughout the last fifteen years and AWA are one. I can’t fully explain why, but I’m getting the same feeling with Dissentience, which is a very good sign. Title-song ‘Kaiju’ is a lot more pummelling with its thrash metal influences and groove, leaving behind some of the prog sensibilities of the song it follows. Given the global instability over the last 24 hours, this hits differently for sure.
Closing out their newest EP with ‘Death Shroud’, Dissentience go with a moodier into followed by some excellent tech instrumentation. Two minutes have gone by before the full band kicks into top gear, with furious death-thrash taking over. They slide subtle prog-elements into it throughout, which help with the song’s momentum too. It is well over seven minutes in length after all! Sometimes, short/sharp bursts of music really help a band stand out. It’s definitely the case here. Dissentience have nailed it.
You can stream and purchase Kaiju digitally from Dissentience below:-
CD copies and other merch are available to purchase from the band here -https://www.dissentience.com/products
Dissentience - https://www.facebook.com/dissentienceband