So what do we have here? Desensitised from the Netherlands are playing good old school Death Metal as it has to be. I didn’t know the band before and I have to say what a mistake. The 3 guys and the one lady on the guitar give us 13 straight Death Metal tracks, all about 3 minutes with not too much frippery. Great riffs from Susan with little accents from a melodic lick here and a nice solo part there. This woman knows how to play a guitar. A good mixture from faster speed / blast parts to more grooving parts and that’s when I like the band most because it becomes more intense and you get reminded a little bit on the great Carcass, what isn’t the worst. Over all you have the great grunt vocals from singer Wilbert, which fit perfect to the songs and complete them, sometimes with support from Susan and on the song ‘Sacred Slaughter’ with a guest appearance from Severe Torture fronter Dennis. But also the other two members Martijn (drums) and Jeroen (bass) have done really good jobs with an excellent drumming and nice deep bass parts. All put together and mastered to a strong wall of sound from Mr Andy Classen. So you don’t get anything new but half an hour of great fun while listening to this record. I hope to see them live sometimes. I got the virus get it too on www.desensitised.nl or www.myspace.com/desensitised.

Dutch DESENSITISED have been a part of the Metal community for quite a while already. The band has been active since 2001 and has evolved from CATAFALQUE. For those of you guys who are not familiar with the latter – CATAFALQUE were hailing from the Netherlands too and played an old school combination of Death and Thrash Metal elements in the vein of DEMONIZER and the likes. These Metalheads now have a rather traditional approach, too. As one could already hear on their preceding outputs – "Thriving On Carnage" (2002) and "Bought Beauty" (2004) – DESENSITISED know how to play proper Death-Thrash. This output now starts off with a very old school ANASARCA – like staccato-driven riff in ‘In The Grip Of Fear’, then followed by rhythmic downstroke Thrash structures. So basically there are these two ingredients – Death and Thrash. I cannot really discern the Grind elements the band’s infosheet mentions. Maybe they refer to the vocals mentioning said elements? In any case – the songs are solidly-performed and well-produced (mastered by Andy Classen). The tracks alternately incorporate blast-beats and Thrash rhythms, the guitars perform quasi-meldodic patterns combined with headbanger compatible rhythmic staccatos. The vocalist roars out his discontent somewhere between deep Death Metal and rather hoarse mid-ranged grunts. All these tracks are tightly played and everything – but yet all this doesn’t strike me as being overly original. I have heard this a thousand times before. Some weird twists and a warped arrangement here and there would do well. But that is personal taste I guess and doesn’t affect the overall positive impression. To be paid heed to, gens and ladies! Website to be checked at: www.desensitised.nl