Zyklon
Disintegrate

Release date: May 19th 2006
Label: Candlelight Records
Distribution: Import
Website:
www.zyklontribe.com

Style:
Black Metal

Rating: 100/100
Reviewed by: Nadja Valcaccia
Date: August 20th 2006

Zyklon, the Norwegian blackened death metal band formed in 1998 by members of Norwegian black metal band Emperor, Samoth and Trym, as well as former members of Myrkskog, have released a new album in 2006 called Disintegrate.
A few quotes from the press and other recent prior interviews were very positive and now it was my turn to check out this album. Disintegrate was released on the 19th of May 2006 and has had nothing but great acclaim and reviews since.

With this new release Zyklon has emerged as death metal's standard for the new millennium. Trym and Samoth both put a great deal of effort in this one. Trym's guitar solos are more focused on speed, technique and melody yet with some mystical fear feel to them. The drums are more persistent than the last album, yet jazzy. You can say that the sound seems to not get, "stale" and have very smooth transitions from, "power to havoc".

Recorded at Akkerhaugen Lydstudio in Norway and mixed at famed Studio Fredman in Sweden under the direction of Fredrik Nordstrøm, "Desintergrate" sees Bård "Faust" Eithun returning to handle lyrical duties while Secthdamon takes his first steps on record behind the mike and on bass. Training his vocals while touring, the drummer turned bassist and vocalist settles perfectly in the position left open in late 2001 by Daemon. Destructhor will continue to impress the guitar aficionados with his lightning-fast solos, technique and sound. Added to it the long-respected play of Samoth and the inspiring skins of Trym, "Desintergrate" is a record that builds upon an already revered sonic recipe.

A lot of these songs are going to remind you of Emperor, even though his power playing guitar style sound has not changed that much here and this is a good thing. This album was also recorded in the same studio as Emperor's "IX Equilibrium" but this material adds a higher level of violence in the writing that makes those sorts of guitar tricks take on a new meaning... it will be interesting for me to see how this band will progress... will they incorporate a few more electronica influences? Black metal resurfaces on the map thanks to Zyklon and their 2006 album, Disintegrate.

Track Listing:
01. In Hindsight
02. Disintegrate
03. Ways of the World
04. Subversive Faith
05. Cold Grave
06. Vile Ritual
07. Underdog
08. Wrenched
09. Vulture
10. Skinned and Endangered