REVIEW: DISTANT - Tsukuyomi: The Origin

Celebrating the deathcore band's 10th anniversary, DISTANT have released their highly awaited album ‘Tsukuyomi: The Origin’ and it does not disappoint, delivering us with the metalcore sound we love from the band. This album is a reimagination of their debut EP 'Tsukuyomi', and you can expect revamped versions of six of the bands early songs like 'Loveless Suffering', 'The Undying', 'Fleshweaver', along with seven new tracks to bolster the length of the release, and give something entirely new to fans!

Starting off with a mysterious sound, you are immediately drawn into this album from the first track ‘The Pale Moonlight’. It sets the tone of what to expect from the entirety of the album, giving us the perfect introduction into it. The iconic screaming comes nearing the end of the track but flows into the next song easily. ‘Fleshweaver’ is a song that will of course be familiar if you were a fan of the band's debut EP. They have done an incredible job at reimagining this track, giving it the boost we didn't know it needed, with more heavy guitar riffs and the talented vocals that we all love. This track is filled with intense screams, making it the perfect song to mosh to. 

‘Feast Of Misery’ starts off with low but powerful screaming vocals, accompanied by a harsh drum beat and the brutal riffs that really bring this song together as a whole. This song builds up massively to the end of the track, where we are hit with some intense screaming and punchy drum beats that bounce off the screams perfectly. The next song, ‘Torturous Symphony’, features Matt Heafy of Trivium, and it’s evident that this song is going to be a headbanger as soon as you hit play. Starting off with distorted vocals before going seamlessly into straight up deathcore screaming. The mixture of death growls and more high pitched screaming makes this track a real treat to listen to. 

The guitar part in the next song, ‘Cradled in Shards of Glass’, really stands out due to the incredibly unique riffs are heard throughout. They're both heavy and dark, yet also bouncy and catchy, tempting you to bang your head as you listen along. The guitarist also does a great job at breaking the song up and introducing the more distorted vocals. ‘Loveless Suffering’ features a wide range of vocals, with the song starting off with more fast paced screaming before diving into the heavy but low growls that we've come to expect and crave. The emotion in this song can be heard clearly throughout with the intense screaming and it is evident that they are passionate about the music they make. 

‘The Undying’ is packed with intense and exciting riffs alongside an exhilarating beat that gives this song a different feel to the rest of the album. The guitar solo in this song really showcases the guitarist's talent, sounding incredibly clean showing off their passion for their instrument. The next song is ‘The Apex’ which starts off with a beautiful tune before building up to a harsh beat and an angry growl which contrasts the opening sound greatly. This track is only a short one, however that does not take away from it being an enjoyable listen. 

‘Acolytes of Damnation’ features Alex Erian and their vocals work well together. They both have dark vocals that bounce off each other but seamlessly come together creating this crushing song. The guitar riffs are searing throughout,  this song is packed with intense and fast paced riffs that compliment the gritty sound of the vocals in a nice way. Up next is the title track ‘Tsukuyomi’, featuring Travis Worland of ENTERPRISE EARTH. The beginning of this track reminds the listener of the start of a film with the intense build up, and angelic voices in the background, that gives a wonderful contrast to the the roaring vocals which is very satisfying to listen to. There is a healthy mixture of low growling vocals along with more high pitched screaming, and it feels like a given that this incredible vocal performance is what really brings this track together.

‘Malice’ featuring David Simonich of SIGNS OF THE SWARM really comes into its own with such a distinctive drum line. The drums become very abrupt between screams, which really brings out the vocals, also highlighting the guitar - which really picks up towards the end where the vocals quickly pick up the pace. The last song, ‘Broken Cross’ makes perfect sense to be placed at the end. Even though it's only a short song, with it being just over a minute long, it delivers us with everything we love from the band, from the iconic death growls to the brutal instrumentation heard throughout the entirety of this album. 

Deathcore as a genre feels quite stale at the moment, and even at risk of imploding on itself and dying out. But DISTANT has done us proud with this album, delivering us with insane riffs and breakdowns, emotionally raw and brutal vocals, and plenty of brilliant moments throughout. It's easy to say already that one listen will definitely not be enough and you will find yourself headbanging to every track on this album. They're going on tour in 2025, so don't forget to keep a look out in case they end up near you!

'Tsukuyomi: The Origin' will be released on November 22nd via Century Media Records.

Words: Kelsey Mainwaring

Photos: DISTANT