Distant – Tsukuyomi: The Origin (Review)

This is the fourth album from Distant, a deathcore band from the Netherlands.

I always enjoy catching up with Distant. Their brand of downtempo deathcore heaviness has always stood out as better than the norm, (check out Tyrannotophia, Dawn of Corruption, Dusk of Anguish, and Heritage), so I knew I had to check out Tsukuyomi: The Origin.

Tsukuyomi: The Origin is not a normal new album though. It consists of seven new songs, followed up by new updated versions of the five tracks on Distant’s 2017 EP Tsukuyomi. Clocking in at a reasonable 40 minutes, and boasting guests from such notables as Trivium, Despised Icon, Enterprise Earth, and Signs of the Swarm, Tsukuyomi: The Origin offers a crushing package of merciless contemporary deathcore for fans of the style to ravenously consume.

As always, the music is thoroughly modern and aggressive, blending elements of djent, death metal, and technical metal into a colossal downtempo deathcore whole that simply smashes the competition apart. The new songs move into the old ones effortlessly, and the entire experience is brutally good fun. That is, if you enjoy having your entire body beaten unflinchingly for forty minutes straight.

Tsukuyomi: The Origin is an overstimulating rush of pulsing electronics and malevolent orchestration, brutal guitars and immense breakdowns, punishing drums and rumbling bass, and guttural growls and piercing screams. Dispersed throughout this onslaught are snatches of epic melody, blasting intensity, cinematic ambition, and electrifying solos. Tied together with a dynamic energy that’s infectious, Distant have created a pit-friendly monster that’s one of their best yet. This is music designed to simultaneously get people moving and squash them flat.

This is probably one of the Distant releases that I’ve enjoyed the most. It’s simply an adrenaline-soaked love letter to modern heaviness, and it has gone straight on my gym playlist.

Very highly recommended indeed.