CD Review: Disbelief - Navigator

Hailing from Germany, Disbelief is a four piece band that has been firmly entrenched in the death metal scene for the past 15 years, spanning 7 albums. Of course, their seventh album is the first one that I have ever heard. Navigator is an album that is raw, heavy, and surprisingly original. I cannot say that I was expecting what I got from it. The opening down-tuned guitar riffs of the title track almost had me writing it off as just another death metal act without much to offer the genre. I was wrong. Do not mistake that for a glowing endorsement, but it is one worth listening to as Disbelief made a believer out of me with the song variety and intriguing approach to the sounds of death.

The album opens with the title track, "Navigator," a de-tuned death thrasher that is sure to get your head rocking. Now, at first it sounds like a lot of other death metal songs, but do not be discouraged, this is a tight track that may not break any new ground, but does offer hints of what is to come. It is followed by the truly excellent "When Silence is Broken" which delivers a variation on the sound first hinted in the first cut with rhythms that bash their way into your skull where they rattle around for awhile. Next is "The One" which brings some clean vocals and open strumming, offering further variety to their sound, and cementing this as an album that is becoming much more impressive than I first thought. You see, it pays to listen, even if you aren't impressed at first, there is potential to be surprised and won over by a band. That isn't that they were bad, but the first impression was good, but generic.

Navigator just continues building off of those first three tracks, continuing to expand their sound, bringing in a bit of a thrash influence, and just really expanding the boundaries of the standard death metal design. Disbelief mixes up tempos, offers a varied selection of vocal styles, and is much more experimental than I was willing to give them credit for. Though, if you are looking for shredding solos or the like, you would best go elsewhere, this album is all about skull crushing riffs.

You know, the more I listen to it, the more impressive it gets. It is not that they are wildly experimental or terribly extreme in their methods, in fact they are deceptively simple. It is something they work to their advantage, making these minor adjustments and changes that have big, rippling effects through the songs.

Disbelief is led by Karsten "Jagger" Jäger on vocals, an impressive growler who knows how to mix it up and keep it from getting boring. As good as he is, I think that most of what I like about the album has to be due to Tommy Fritsch's guitars, he is more than just the crunchy riffs, they are there to be sure, but he brings in a lot of atmospheric work that expands the soundstage and makes them seem even bigger. The rhythm section of bassist Jochen "Joe" Trunk and drummer Kai Bergerin are solid, holding down the back end.

Bottomline. Deceptively good, they do the little things to big effect. They succeed at expanding the boundaries of death metal without appearing to be "trying" to, they just do. Disbelief bring a lot of new ideas to bear with excellent effect. This is an album that you will want to get a taste of, whether you are familiar with the band, or like me, are not.

Recommended.