Disbelief
Shine

Never been a common band, Disbelief. From the very beginning, the German combo has always shown to have a conception of music quite different from that of many metal bands that roam the same territories. Their proposal has so far proven to be something extremely well-thought-out and personal: death metal cues and riffs with a doom flavor, tense and sulfurous atmospheres that make you think of Katatonia as much more apocalyptic than usual, in addition to a solid foundation built on the concepts initiated by Neurosis and Voivod, positioning themselves midway between the two groups. Alternating chiaroscuro and hypnotic styles, with a solid and melodic constructiveness. Avantgarde-metal, if you want to call it that, but I wouldn't agree.

In short, a proposal that is more than interesting; however, their problem is not often reaching high compositional peaks with their music, remaining most of the time on average.
Despite everything, their music cannot fail to engage, if you are predisposed to this type of sound, and this is even clearer in "Shine," the band's fourth effort.

The album, overall, is extremely enjoyable and does not lack strong points, take "Me And My World," for example: a long piano intro, the same melody that advances and builds in its progression, until it spills into the guitars and a voice that is as melodic at times as it is dragged and suffering at others.
Take "Decline," slow and rhythmic, with apocalyptic arpeggios and ancestral echoes emerging from the distortions. And then again, that terrible voice. Karsten Jager reveals himself to be increasingly unique in his genre, with a singing style that is not singing, it's a lament. It's palpable suffering, branded on his vocal cords, a phlegmatic organ that, to be kind, is heavy and claustrophobic.

In short, Disbelief in "Shine" are a band to rediscover, as this album did not receive the attention it deserved. Only one problem: the lack of inspiration that peeps through here and there, leading the listener to a loud yawn. Fortunately, these are limited and isolated cases, and if it is equally true that the band still has to improve and reach healthy artistic maturity (the subsequent "Spreading The Rage" and "66Sick" continue to remain at these levels), it is equally true that the means to do so are all there, and even more. Good luck, then.