Distant – Into Despair
Release Date: 6th November 2026
Label: Century Media Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Deathcore, Down-tempo.
FFO: Paleface Swiss, Bodysnatcher, To The Grave, Crown Magnetar, Abbie Falls.
Review By: Mike Leighton
Netherlands-based deathcore juggernauts Distant are gearing up to release their 5th studio album, Into Despair, on November 6th. Since their inception in 2014, Distant have been insanely consistent with their releases and musical composition. With 4 LPs and 4 EPs under their belt, the band has built a dark, fantasy-themed, and expansive universe filled with lore surrounding the story of Tyrant!
Into Despair takes the band’s usual formula and does a complete one-eighty, combining their signature heavy, downtempo riffs and filthy vocals with a more introspective approach that introduces deeply personal lyrics and themes. Distant is comprised of Alan Grnja on vocals, Nouri Yetgin on guitars, Elmer Maurits on bass, and Rene Gerbrandij on drums. Into Despair drops on November 6th through Century Media Records! This new album shifts the focus from the normal storyline of Tyrant to the problems people are facing in today’s ever-changing world. So, let’s dive right in!
Right off the bat, the intro track, The World, is relentless and unforgiving, much like the world we live in. Nothing Left To Hate, one of my personal favorite tracks, is filled with everything fans have come to love about Distant. This track covers the darkness people might feel when trying to be better and the struggles that come with trying to change. This song hits hard for me personally, as I’ve struggled to break free of my own toxic nature and become a better person, only to find myself falling short time and time again. The lyrics, highlighted below, really paint a picture of how you might eventually make it out of a bad situation, but you’ll always carry your past along with you as a reminder.
“I carry every version of myself that failed, I drag them behind me like a fucking chain.
Crumble where I stand, bury me in the walls I built. I was the storm. I was the silence after”
Rat Torture, another track, starts off with filthy riffs and slowly building drums before descending into chaos that only Distant can bring. The vocals, instrumentation, and overall musicianship on this track, as well as throughout Into Despair, showcase just how much the band has grown in their songwriting and composition. Rat Torture, lyrically, is a social commentary highlighting human reliance on screens, the opinions of people we’ve never met, and the lack of genuineness in people’s actions; we are all rats trapped within our cages (behind the screen).
“Eyes unblinking, mouths full of light
We eat the spectacle, starve on the truth
The city breathes through wires now
every pulse choreographed, every voice an echo of command
We build an altar of nothing and kneel for applause”
Continuing the album’s exploration of human behavior, Circle Of Vultures is another track that hits harder than the last. Lyrically, this track seems to explore the cyclical nature of human behavior and our tendency to always want more, constantly demanding things from others without offering anything in return. This track is filled with heavy riffs that are bound to bring a wonderfully chaotic energy to the live shows! One of the singles, Flesh And Nails, has been on repeat for me since it dropped. Featuring some of the best riffs on the album, this track is incredibly heavy and made even better by the addition of guest vocals from Kyle Medina of Bodysnatcher. Alan and Kyle are a dangerously heavy duo, and this track is bound to bring the pain during a live set.
Lastly, Iron Knee is the perfect track to end the album. From the opening track, Into Despair feels like a descent into madness, or quite literally, despair, delving into the depths of the human psyche while attempting to emerge on the other side the same person you were going in. Iron Knee feels like a chaotic breakdown of dissonance, anger, and rage, all packed nicely into just over 2 minutes. This is one track I hope to hear live, if anything, just to see the pit it creates and to hear Alan perform it!
After listening a couple of times already, I can say that Into Despair is quite the journey. The shift to a more personal perspective makes it easy to feel a sense of shared experience through the lyrical themes presented by the band.
(5 / 5)
