Review by Paul Monkhouse for MPM
From Trust to Gojira, France has a great history of ground-shaking rock bands and Disconnected are vying to be the next big contenders for the crown.
Following on from their 2018 debut ‘White Colossus’ and ‘The Downtime’ EP from last year, this full-length sophomore album sees the band refining their formula of melody and aggression to a razor sharpness.
Things start with a roar, the huge riffs and soaring melody of ‘Life Will Always Find Its Way’ equally slamming and lifting as the guitars of Florian Merindol and Adrian Martinot form a punishing team.
Vocalist Ivan Pavlakovic can seamlessly switch from clean to growled vocals, the light and shade striking as it all adds up to something quite special. As opening tracks go, it’s a real statement of intent, the band declaring they’ve arrived.
This was just a warm-up though. The flesh stripping vocals and off the scale aggression of ‘King of the World’ is a seething ball of frustration that threatens to boil over and destroy your house, the barely controlled fury wanting to break free.
After this devastating attack, ‘Your Way To Kill’ takes a sudden left turn, shades of Rush and Alter Bridge in its anthemic and triumphant DNA, the grand scale of ‘The Only Truth’ equally impressive, the clean, emotional vocals and soaring chorus tailormade for huge stages and festivals.
‘I Fall Again’ throws some mysterious and mystical vibes into the mix, the blend of this and an Overwhelming barrage of riffs and percussion shot through with melody a heady brew.
Tracks like this and ‘That’s How I’ll Face the End’, with its uplifting feel and power that’s just crying out to be on an action film soundtrack, show the versatility of Disconnected, their range impressive but still with a cohesive central sonic core.
The band are seemingly adept at walking tightropes, the thrill and adrenaline rush of not knowing which way they’re going to be turning something of endless wonder and magnetism.
Primal Rage’ flips between the sweet and salty, alternatively crushing and lifting whilst closer ‘A World of Futile Pains’ stands proud as it shimmers with an otherworldly opening before ding headlong into a techno-filled sci-fi blaster that has the heat of a thousand suns.
Intelligent, brutal, soaring and set to make seismic impressions, Disconnected may well be global megastars this time next year.
