After being infected by this deadly Death Metal virus from Canada, you’ll pleasantly suffer from brutal headbanging, deep growling and an impetuous urge to slam into the pit.

There’s a deadly virus spreading from Edmonton, Canada to the rest of our rotting world since 2007, which major symptoms include brutal headbanging, deep growling and especially an urge to slam into some sick circle pits, similar to what happens when we listen to Death Metal icons such as Deicide, Cannibal Corpse and Cryptopsy, commonly known as Display of Decay. This five-piece infection truly knows how to bring forth pungent and coarse Death Metal tunes intensified by the addition of elements from Thrash and Doom Metal, making sure all songs from their brand new release, entitled  Dust of Existence, have something unique to offer to the listener.

In addition, Dust of Existence is not just a new album, but a direct epilogue to their 2014 EP named Outbreak of Infection, telling what happened to mankind after the horrifying events caused by the devastating virus presented in the EP. That’s also portrayed in the artwork of the new album, showing how focused the band was during its writing and composing period, and therefore adding an extra layer of complexity to the final result. However, don’t expect to find any gentle passages or progressiveness in the music by Display of Decay as you would in most “concept” albums, but pure malevolence with a raw attitude that will get inside your brain and relentlessly crush it.

The opening track, Created to Kill, needs less than ten seconds to show how visceral the band’s musicality is, presenting crude riffs enhanced by rumbling and intricate bass lines. Not only that, the demonic vocals by Jessy Leduc, supported by the harsh backing vocals by Sean Watson, create a truly evil atmosphere that perseveres until the end of Dust of Existence, which in my opinion provides a good consistency to the entire album. Relentless Reprisal also offers an intense sounding where its belligerent lyrics (“Shadows in the night, New plight of terror / Seeking revenge, Silent abduction / Eye for an eye, I take your life / Revenge prolonged, calculated”) and the blustering bass guitar by Jacob Maisonneuve turn it into a delight for all types of death metallers, followed by the pulverizing High Voltage Castration and its “cute” lyrics, so morbid I’m not going to add them to this review. Regarding the music itself, it is catchy and intense, and I’m sure you’ll start banging your fuckin’ head to its kick-ass riffs while Jacob continues his “ode to Alex Webster” through his sick bass lines. Besides, the special sound effects halfway through the song are truly “electrifying”, giving life to its lyrics.

The next song, Maruta, has a very interesting name which I’m not quite sure if that was the inspiration for the band to compose it. Maruta is the name of a special program of experimentation on human beings at the Imperial Japanese Army’s Unit 731 (a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit), and it makes total sense taking into account the concepts and ideas of the album. Maybe the band can confirm that? Anyway, it showcases such a brutish rhythm as if giant trolls were playing the instruments instead of humans, presenting one of the sickest versions of Death Metal you can think of (but, of course, with the talent of the musicians involved elevating its overall quality). Cellar Goreatory is yet another solid display of traditional Death Metal, with highlights to its vile vociferations, headbanging riffs and nonstop violence, but it’s in Messiah Complex that the band takes bestiality to the next level. It’s that always interesting variation of Death Metal where speed gives place to gore and heaviness, with kudos to rhythm guitarist Jeremy Puffer for his amazing performance delivering tons of melody and violence through his unrelenting riffs. Moreover, Jessy sounds so inhuman with his growls it makes me wonder how his actual voice is, and how hard it’s for him to switch it to this extremely rough mode.

Nyctophilia means a love or preference for night or darkness, which is perfectly depicted in its lyrics (“Blinded by light, Darkness arise, / From the tomb, I revive! / Last of my kind, Ancient sacrifice, / Empty carcass , Cloak of darkness!”). It’s more of the band’s old school Death Metal for us, with its instrumental being as dark and heavy as the name of the song demands. And although one might say there’s no creativity in tunes like this, who said good Death Metal needs that? Closing this poisonous album, the title-track Dust of Existence, also the longest of all songs, showcases some interesting melancholic moments that end up supporting this excellent Death/Doom Metal chant of desolation and despair. The whole band proves they can also craft metallic compositions from other subgenres of Extreme Metal, with the rawer than usual production becoming essential for the music to work in this demonic tune.

What are you waiting for to get infected by this talented Death Metal act? Follow them on Facebook, check their YouTube channel and SoundCloud page for more of their music, and also purchase Dust of Existence at their BandCamp page. I’m sure you’ll pleasantly suffer from all the aforementioned symptoms after listening to this solid album.

Best moments of the album: Created to Kill, High Voltage Castration and Messiah Complex.

Worst moments of the album: Cellar Goreatory.

Released in 2015 Independent

Track listing
1.Created to Kill 3:41
2.Relentless Reprisal 2:53
3.High Voltage Castration 5:16
4.Maruta 4:21
5.Cellar Goreatory 3:26
6.Messiah Complex 4:30
7.Nyctophilia 3:23
8.Dust of Existence 7:10

Band members
Jessy Leduc – vocals
Sean Watson – lead guitars, vocals
Jeremy Puffer – rhythm guitars
Jacob Maisonneuve – bass
Avery Desmarais – drums