CD review, Dec 08. The Berzerker – Dissimulate (Earache)

Berzerker eh? Hard to spell and even harder to listen to! What’s it all about? Well they played the recent Damnation Festival in the UK and had plenty of interest so my finger obviously isn’t on the pulse of the heavy listening public. Anyways, if you don’t already know, Berzerker practice a brand of fuzzed up techno-gabba-Death Metal grind which sounds otherworldly and only lets up for the occasional death related soundbite or the like. It’s all utterly mental and since the band dress onstage, though not when I saw them, in demonic, Slipknot style (I think Berzerker were first), I just figured the whole thing was some elaborate joke. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, but the sound is that of someone invading a Death Metal recording and turning everything twice as fast and distorted. Diehards will thank Earache for great packaging with some nice concert and studio footage. Frankly, it’s a bloody din, but if it yanks yer crank, go for it!