Dissimulation is a black/thrash metal band from Lithuania, which was formed in 1993 and has been operating in obscurity for the most part of their existence. After all, this is only their second release, excluding a demo and a 7” EP, in 12 years so the production wasn’t very high. “Prakeikimas” (Lithuanian for damnation) starts with a standard classical intro, in this case taken from the score of a documentary, with the usual instruments, a lot of brass and bass drums and a hysterical choir. If you’re familiar with Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” you’ll know what I mean.
This intro leads to the real first song “As Jusu Prakeikimas” which opens with some traditional melodies before developing into a mid tempo black/thrash track.

All other tracks are more or less in the same vein, mid tempo thrashing black metal with the occasional odd element (a choir and some keyboards) The vocals sometimes remind me of old Ancient Rites, not a real black scream but a grim half clean-half rasping throat, which gives Dissimulation a old-fashioned feeling.

The Slayer-alike riffing (the riff in the second track “Suteikim Jiems Kancia” reminds of “South Of Heaven”) makes the ancient feeling even stronger.

I can’t say I truly worship this album but it has its moments, the track “As Jusu Prakeikimas” is very good but the other tracks are too much in the same vein to keep my attention to it all the time. To end the album with more than six minutes of ambient waterfall sounds and keyboards is also not a smart move in my opinion if you are a thrashing black metal band, but other than that I enjoyed “Prakeikimas” and am convinced that they can come up with a better album next time.