Spread the Disease's new album, The Darkness. The Dread. The Suffering., is a reunion that sparks curiosity among fans of their earlier chaotic metalcore sound. The album aims to expand upon the band's black metal influences, but does it deliver the caustic vitriol we've come to expect?
The album opens with 'Light Opaque', a five-minute track that sets the formula for much of the record. It's a blend of meaty tremolo passages and classic At the Gates riffing, but I wish the longer runtimes yielded more standout moments. The band does make some considerations for album flow, with short interludes and a shift in the blackened hardcore milieu on the B-side. However, the pieces never quite coalesce into something greater than the sum of their parts.
Spread the Disease knows how to pack these songs with well-constructed, pissed-off riffs, but some ideas linger too long. Certain riffs feel like boilerplate black metal or cliché metalcore, and their juxtaposition doesn't necessarily elevate them. The propulsive energy that fuels the record can occasionally dwindle, especially when a repetitive tremolo riff overstays its welcome.
Despite this issue, the individual performances are consistently strong, and tracks like 'Summer Wanes' and 'Gods and Politics' demonstrate a well-considered take on this particular sound. The album is an intriguing piece of blackened hardcore, with plenty of fun ideas throughout, but it's missing the oomph and considered songwriting needed to tie everything together.
In my opinion, Spread the Disease has delivered an intriguing piece of blackened hardcore, but it's not quite a triumphant reunion. The album is fun and aggressive, but it's missing a certain depth and cohesion. Fans of the band's early material will be curious to hear its black metal tendencies dragged further into the foreground, but I think they'll be left wanting more. Perhaps the band could have benefited from a more considered approach to songwriting and album structure. Regardless, it's undeniably cool to hear Spread the Disease sounding this venomous after so many years.
