Review Text
Gatefold 2LP (180g vinyl, black) incl. Etching, printed inner sleeves and protection sleeve. While Disillusion's "Back To Times Of Splendor" was an instant classic of progressive melodic death upon it's release in 2004, the group from Leipzig, Germany, pushed the envelope even more two years later on the rigorously innovative "Gloria" - yet it is fair to say that the most glorious years for "one of the best kept secrets to come from the metal underground" (Blabbermouth) are yet to come. In 2016, when the single "Alea", their first new recording in a decade, came out to test the waters in the wake of successful concerts with a refurbished line-up, Disillusion found themselves graced with an incredibly loyal fan base that made the band give in to the urge of approaching their first full-length in ten years. In the course of a crowdfunding campaign, intiated with the hope to support the creation of that album, the dream of every niche artist became true: It's overwhelming success enabled main man Andy Schmidt to invest almost two years full-time into writing and recording a new Disillusion record without having to take on a day job for sustenance. That fan-finance actually laid the foundation for this work cannot be valued highly enough. "The Liberation" is the result of the Herculean creative task Andy Schmidt applied himself to, spending countless hours of songwriting and recording. It comes 13 years after "Gloria" but stands as the logical stylistic successor to "Back To Times Of Splendor", offering genuinely enthusiastic, passionate and driven prog metal with a corresponding lyrical outlook yet one and a half decade of additional life experience on the part of it's creator. As an expression of clearance in the literal sense of it's title, it is testament to human development, an interplay of fierce metal with moments of both pure euphoria and introspection, The songs take you on the proverbial roller coaster of emotions that you missed maybe since Opeth's "Watershed." Disillusion in 2019 resemble the storm you feel brewing over an epic such as 'Wintertide', the straight-in-your-face stunner 'The Great Unknown' or the unexpectedly catchy and hookline-laden 'Time To Let Go', which - quite naturally - turned out to be exactly what fans have been craving for so long. "The Liberation" was mastered by Jens Bogren (In Flames, etc.) and is available as Digipak CD, gatefold 2LP as well as 60-page 2CD book edition (hardcover, 18x18cm) with expanded artwork and audio commentary from Andy Schmidt.
