Info
- Band(s): Diocletian
- Label(s): Nuclear War Now! Productions
- Release Format(s): 12" vinyl, Cassette, CD
- Release Year: 2024
- Review Date: August 6, 2024
- Author(s): Black Mary, FelixS
Diocletian’s ‘Gesundrian’ from 2014, released by the French Osmose Productions label, is commonly seen as one of the absolute cornerstones of the Bestial Black/Death Metal genre. Forged into a near-perfect sonic storm of aggression and violence, it resembles everything aspect of the genre in its full blasphemous glory. It was therefore to the disappointment of many that the band called it quits a year later. However, that absence did not last very long and guitarist Brendan “Atrociter” Southwell brought the band back to life a year later. Although with a completely renewed line-up in which not one other former band member returned. To many, however, the first album the band came up with, 2019’s ‘Amongst The Flames Of A Bvrning God’ (Profound Lore Records) was not the comeback that had been hoped for…
On a personal note, I never quite understood the vented complaints that much. It might not have lived up to the expectations left by ‘Gesundrian’ from five years before, but it was still very much a Diocletian album in every sense of the word. The most common grievance was that the album offered more of the same, something which in itself is a somewhat surprising observation for a band in this particular genre not characterised by its volatility and creative excesses.
Putting my own opinions aside, it is of course an objective observation that following up a modern genre classic is no mean feat either. Fortunately, the band has not stopped there and followed up, again five years later, with a new album: ‘Inexorable Nexus’. Incidentally, again via a different label, this time Nuclear War Now! Productions the landlord on duty.
There are bound to be plenty of naysayers again, but without a doubt this is another record worthy of the Diocletian imprint. All trademark ingredients are again fully represented and in just under 35 minutes you undergo another ultimate musical whipping. The grinding riffs, the relentlessly pounding drums, dive-bomb solos and the ferociously barking vocals of Rigel Walshe (Dawn Of Azazel) come together in a cut-throating savage chaos that is not inferior to the band’s previous work in terms of authenticity. Compared to ‘Gesundrian’, ‘Inexorable Nexus’ does not have that heavier, more Death Metal-oriented sound either. Instead, the band equips itself with a more vicious and sharper sound that was already evident on its predecessor, thus definitely giving this second incarnation of Diocletian a clearer Black Metal profile.
It is impossible to satisfy all tender souls and it will probably always be difficult to stand up to the stonkingly good ‘Gesundrian’, but Diocletian, with ‘Inexorable Nexus’, has undoubtedly proved that they still have more than enough to compete with their genre peers. (FelixS)
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It’s always a tremendous pain in the ass (not the good kind) to write a review for the new release by one of your all time favorite bands, because you don’t want to come off as bious… and obviously, it’s considered weird to just write several paragraphs of ‘Aaaarrggghhhaaaaaaaaarrrrhhhaaaaaa’ and expect people to understand what you’re talking about. Okay, some would, but I’ll do my best to come off as slightly more elaborate than insinuated. But, first thing first.
Formed in 2004, with their first demo released in 2005, Diocletian are nearing their 20th year of existence and have, through several recordings (2 demos, 4 EPs, 2 splits, one live album and one compilation alongside 5 albums) and line up changes (including a brief hiatus between) the band managed to build their reputation to the point of becoming one of the most deadly forces in the underground / War / Bestial scene.
After the brief hiatus between 2015 and 2016, the band returned with a completely new line up and amongst others introduced the legendary Black Witchery vocalist / bassist Impurath as the additional vocalist who, like is common with line up changes, shifted the band into a slightly different sound as his vocals attributed a ridiculous amount of chaos to the bands previously meticulously calculated concoction of black, death, speed metal and grind. The first outing with the new lineup was ‘Amongst the Flames of the Burning God’ (released in 2019) was an obvious step into ‘decimation of functioning brain cells’ direction. Even though that album was nothing short of magnificent, the brainless ferocity is almost impossible to maintain in the long run, so on the ‘Inorexable Nexus’ the band returns to the more constructed, darker approach, yet losing a very little amount of ferocity, resulting in much more crushing, heavier, barbaric Death Metal.
There are countless strategies on how to conduct a battle and / or a war, each one with its pros and cons. While wars usually seem as an absolute chaos to the warriors and innocent bystanders, relying only on chaos is a sure way to lose it, as it will result in complete destruction on all of the included sides. It takes experienced generals (and their allies o reven war criminals, as in this case both Blasphemy axemen, Caller of the Storms and R. Forster have lent their expertise in the field) leading their armies into war of all against all and come out a winner standing on remains of the annihilated oponents. Winners are not following or even setting trends, but the ones challenging themselves to reach over their own limits. Simply put, good things take their time and after over six years in the making, you can rest assured Diocletian deserve their place among the genre defining and leading bands as meticulously calculated, but still appearing as absolute chaos ‘Inorexable Nexus’ is their most deadly release to date. (Black Mary)
Diocletian
- Country: New Zealand
- Style: Death Metal, Black Metal
- Links: Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, Spotify
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Nuclear War Now! Productions
- Country: USA
- Style: Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Thrash Metal, Other
- Links: Homepage, Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp
