Disillusive Play – Songs for the Non-Existent
Release Date: 16th June 2023
Label: Wormholedeath Records
Spotify / iTunes
Genre: Hard Rock with Melodic Metal/Progressive Metal influences.
FFO: Queensryche, Conception, Marillion, King Crimson, Pendragon, Halestorm, Stone Sour, Avenged Sevenfold.
Review By: Mark Waight
To say 2023 has been a great year for new music is no understatement, it certainly has, and Songs for the Non-Existent by Disillusive Play continues that trend with another top-drawer album release. Disillusive Play deliver a fabulous compendium of Modern Progressive songs that never stray too far from the more traditional Hard Rock, Heavy Metal threads that are an integral part of all they do. Songs for the Non-Existent casts a wide net and will pull in listeners from across a large range of different metal genre audiences with its slick production and super cool sound.
Disillusive Play is Antigoni Kalamara (vocals), Jim Knikos (lead guitar), Fotis Trivizas (rhythm guitar), Michalis Mytilinis (bass), Aris Dolianitis (drums) and are based in Athens, Greece. They formed in 2014 and have a strong presence in the local live music scene. Songs for the Non-Existent is the follow-up to their 2018 album, Open Arms.
Opening track Enough delivers a musical message about the state of the modern world by means of some superb gravely rock vocals and Bryan May style guitar playing. Nice start!
Why is a much heavier song with a glorious doomy riff and a vocal range that is guaranteed to make you sit up and listen. There is also an orchestral arrangement that really adds to the apocalyptic atmosphere. The hard-hitting bass in Sisyphus generates a dark intro which continues throughout the song whilst being interlaced with much faster passages right up to the cut-off finish.
Life Scars is a fantastic track with gritty vocals, plenty of emotion and some well executed guitar sequences that combine to deliver a super tight band performance. The Dreamer is a beautiful old school metal style track with plenty of appeal to old rockers like me who just love a bit of nostalgia – now that’s what I call a tune!
Make Them All Feel Good does just that with its more uplifting sound and softer edge. It’s a lovely anthem and a mighty fine song with some finger numbing guitar playing that leaves you begging for more. Love or Fear is a slow burning track where the intensity gradually increases to an explosive climax. These are the moments that undoubtedly make Rock and Metal the best music in the world. The guitar solo is emotionally sublime!
Title track, Parallel Lives (A Song For the Non-Existant) is another banger. This time there are the male vocals of Marios Karanastasis to compliment the vocals of Antigoni Kalamara giving us a fantastically dreamy duet. An excellent collaboration!
Queen of the Night is Heavy Rock pure and simple, featuring Panagiotis Bourazanis on bass, which further adds to your listening pleasure. Great tune, and another reason to love this album! The stormy start and echoey vocals give Demons Glove a much darker, more Heavy Metal feel, with some well-presented keyboards adding further to the gothic ambience of another stunning track.
Final offering, We will Rise (Any Day Now) begins gently before slowly cranking up the pressure, and delivering another epic chorus! Now that’s what I call an ending to an album, as the listener is left with the hope of a brighter future for the world and a warm feeling inside.
Songs for the Non-Existent is one of those albums that will grow and grow on you the more times you listen to it. Disillusive Play are back with a bang and although Songs for the Non-Existent discusses some difficult topics that we currently face in the world, at the end you are left full of hope and faith that humanity will prevail. Songs for the Non-Existent is a good listen, so why don’t you give it a spin?
(4 / 5)
