Delving deeper into the eerie atmospherics of metal’s less-trodden path, we find Disorientation, a Montreal-based duo who eschews the symphonic metal genre’s usual dalliance with ethereal beauty, opting instead for an odyssey through sonic desolation. Born from the minds of Marie-Claude Fleury and Daniel Daris, Disorientation is the antithesis of grandeur and elegance, painting a world where the grotesque and the sublime collide.
Marie-Claude and Dan’s venture into this project began tentatively, with the seeds of Disorientation sown sporadically before taking root in the tumultuous soil of 2020.
Here, they honed their signature sound: a raw, orchestral upheaval, spearheaded by the mournful timbre of the oboe and a vocal range that oscillates between the gutteral and the exquisitely pained.
They draw from a palette that favours the emotional heft of simple, striking riffs over technical showmanship, crafting a soundscape that is as harrowing as it is memorable.
Disorientation’s foray into the metal world was marked by a three-track EP in September 2021, a collection of tracks that skirted the periphery of conventional promotion yet managed to ensnare the attention of the underground scene. With descriptions ranging from “all over the place” to “a little do-it-yourself project,” their debut was anything but unremarkable, earning them a place on playlists from Dark Metal Radio to Mtl Métal.
The sophomore effort, “Survival Mode,” is poised to further distill their essence of orchestrated chaos come December 2023.
Marie-Claude and Daniel promise more of the unnerving and the untraditional in this three-song ensemble. The EP is an exposition of mental fortitude amidst turbulence, seeking not to provide refuge but to mirror the discord of strife through its avant-garde oboe melodies and stark vocal deliveries.
With “Survival Mode,” Disorientation aims to solidify their niche, a defiant stance against the symphonic status quo. As they prepare to transition from the studio to the stage, the prospect of live performances looms on the horizon—a challenge they are poised to meet with the same unyielding spirit that marks their recorded offerings. For those attuned to the beauty in discord, Disorientation’s newest creation might just resonate with the clamor of their inner turmoil, offering a stark, unvarnished echo of survival.
