Spread the Disease, once a frenetic Canadian metalcore band, has returned with a new album, The Darkness. The Dread. The Suffering., which purports to expand upon the black metal elements of their earlier work. In my opinion, this album is a mixed bag. While it certainly isn't lacking in aggression, it's missing a certain oomph and the considered songwriting needed to tie everything together. Personally, I think the band knows how to pack these songs with well-constructed, pissed-off riffs that blur the line between metalcore and black metal, but despite the variety on display, some ideas linger just a tad too long. What makes this particularly fascinating is that the album is less of a maximalist, mathy affair than Spread the Disease's previous work, and instead opts for a more straightforward merger of second-wave black metal frostbite and 2000s metalcore beef. This combination works largely because everybody involved seems determined to play it as angrily as humanly possible. From my perspective, the album's individual performances are consistently strong, and tracks like 'Summer Wanes' and 'Gods and Politics' demonstrate a well-considered take on this particular sound. However, the longer runtimes yield more genuinely standout moments, and certain riffs feel like boilerplate black metal or cliché metalcore, and their juxtaposition doesn't necessarily elevate them. What many people don't realize is that the album does make some considerations for album flow, placing short interludes between the main tracks and slightly shifting its blackened hardcore milieu on the B-side. The final two 'main' tracks also put a different spin on the band's established formula. One thing that immediately stands out is that the album is an intriguing piece of blackened hardcore, with plenty of fun ideas throughout the record. However, it's not quite a triumphant reunion, and the pieces never quite coalesce into something greater than the sum of their parts. In my view, the album is merely average, but it is undeniably cool to hear Spread the Disease sounding this venomous after so many years. The Darkness. The Dread. The Suffering. is an interesting listen, but it's not quite the masterpiece I was hoping for. Rating: 2.5/5.0. DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3. Label: Hypaethral Records (https://hypaethralrecords.com/). Websites: spreadthedisease.bandcamp.com (https://spreadthedisease.bandcamp.com/?searchitemid%3D3451688309%26searchitemtype%3Db%26searchmatchpart%3D%253F%26searchpageid%3D5557047865%26searchpageno%3D0%26searchrank%3D1=) | instagram.com/spreadthediseaseofficial (https://www.instagram.com/spreadthedisease_official/).
