Self-releasing an album is a monumental effort. Between production, distribution, artwork, press, blah blah, the weight of the supply chain quickly consumes enormous amounts of time, money and energy. And that’s before you factor in the grueling work of creating music that’s actually incredibly good. Indeed, for a young band, first impressions are everything, which means it’s essential to ensure everything is as polished and professional as possible.
Desoration understand this. The five-piece from Christchurch, New Zealand submitted their debut album, NON, through AMG’s contact form, catching my attention with their professional-grade press kit. Since forming in 2020, the band has been refining its identity, with the 2024 EP Apotechnosis showcasing Desoration‘s technologically enhanced blend of melodic death metal. NON aims to take it to a new level, weaving symphonic textures into their deadly foundation alongside a narrative that charts a protagonist’s descent from modern despair into an otherworldly transformation, culminating in their rise as a “nemesis” who brings total annihilation of the material plane. Will NON‘s ambition be something that won’t get going? Or will it be an uncompromising addition to your playlist?
Puns aside, NON often sways between melodic death and symphonic black metal. Tracks like “Corporealisation Threshold,” “Deadened and Scarified” and “Excoriating Reality” channel the guitar spirit of Omnium Gatherum or Mors Principium Est, while others are forged in the cold symphonic black mold of the past ’90s (“Black Dawn,” “The Befouled Ziggurat of Non”). Desoration even find room to pepper in the strong, rhythmic grooves of Lamb of God (“Beyond the Veil of Sleep”) or the operatic barbarity of Fleshgod Apocalypse (“Singularity Ritual,” “Interitus the Herald of Ruin”). Regardless of their stylistic tendency, Desoration reinforce every note with absolute precision, as high-velocity picking, affult blasts and syncopated chugging underpin the dramatic synchestral peaks. The orchestral arrangements act as NON‘s connective tissue, fueling the record’s kinetic energy with urgent yet dramatic tension. Although Desoration‘s sound doesn’t open new horizons, the formula works as a whole, relying on organic dexterity to keep the listener captivated.
Great albums live or die by their songwriting, and the writing on NON is solid. “Singularity Ritual,” “Those Who Dwell in Darkness” and “Interitus the Herald of Ruin” thrive on sharp hooks, cavalry gallops and solos packed with bright, sweeping scales that fully showcase Desoration‘s talent. “Corporealization Threshold,” in particular, peaks during a synchronized closing battery of percussive riffs and double kick. It’s an essential burst of energy that arrives just in time, offering the adrenaline spike I found myself chasing on the earlier tracks. While the writing isn’t entirely consistent across all eleven songs – “Beyond the Veil of Sleep,” for example, has no hooks, and “Black Dawn” is too long – NON rises above these lulls through Desoration‘s sheer talent and an obvious mastery of the melodic death sound.
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Favoring a synthetic sheen, NON‘s main weakness is its production. While a sterile production style is a common aesthetic that many bands seemingly adopt for convenience, here it leads to an overly digitized sound that quickly grows tiring. In fact, I spent my whole time with NON longing for the dynamics that Desoration abandoned in the editing room. Aean Campbell’s vocals are skillful and hit all the standard death beats, but they sit so far forward in the mix that they drown out much of the orchestral nuance, particularly the guitars. The biggest tragedy, however, is the drums. Bennett Jones’s performance itself is excellent, but the tones are a disaster. The toms sound thin and the cymbals are an eruption of static electricity. Honestly, it sounds like they plugged in a Roland electronic kit, hit “record” and called it a day. It’s a shame that low-effort tones bury such a high level of playing. I understand the necessity of working within strict constraints to achieve a professional sound on an indie budget, but production this over-processed has a negative impact on my feathered ears.
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Desoration are a young band radiating promise, and NON proves these Kiwis have the experience to compete globally. It’s frustrating that the production prevents the album from reaching its full potential. Yet if you can look past that flaw, you’ll find a good melodic death album with sturdy songwriting and impressive performances full of symphonic slaughter. NON establishes Desoration as a band worth watching.
Rating: Good
DR: 5 | Format rating: PCM
Label: Self-release Websites
: desoration.bandcamp.com | desoration.com | facebook.com/desorationmetal
Worldwide release: February 6, 2026
