Detailed Reviews [Dusk of Delusion -2021 - "World at War"]

Prolusion. French band DUSK OF DELUSION was established as a band unit back in the fall of 2016, and have released two full length albums and one EP after this. The EP "World at War" dates back to March 2021, and was released through French label Fantai'zic Productions.

Analysis. The band is self-described as a modern metal band, and further use tags such as new metal and screamo to describe their music. For my sake I'm perhaps a bit more old-fashioned in my descriptions, and would place them into slightly different contexts in the world of metal. The lead vocals are of the emotional, raspy talking and shouting manner, with clear references back to hardcore and punk. As such, the music does contain what one might describe as a -core element. The songs themselves strikes me as being closer to groove-oriented metal and perhaps even thrash metal, while the instrumental sections occasionally have more of a galloping trait to them that makes me think of power metal as well as the bands that set the foundations for that genre to develop. The overall mood and atmosphere explored is a dark and intense one, which includes the use of some nifty guitar effects and a token atmospheric laden interlude in the longest song 'Idolatry for Aversion' that by and large also contribute to this. While an interesting choice, opting to cover Status Quo's cover version of Bolland's classic hit song 'In the Army Now' is one that while fitting the thematic premise of this EP isn't a good match musically. For some it may well be interesting to hear this song performed with more intense hardcore style vocals and dark, gnarly riffs, but for me at least this cover version just didn't catch my fancy. The rest of the EP is a sound affair though, with the aforementioned 'Idolatry for Aversion' standing out as the clear highlight for me.

Conclusion. While not a production I can see will ignite all that much interest in a strict progressive rock interested audience, those who are generally fascinated by the blend of vocals with a hardcore oriented delivery mixed with a more strict metal musical backdrop strikes me as the most proper audience for this EP. Especially if you tend to enjoy metal explored in a darker spirit and mood, and possibly in a groove metal manner.

Progmessor: July 2021
The Rating Room