True death metal doesn’t mess around! It is as blunt as a baseball bat to the face and as gross as a ruptured septic tank. The mix of melee weapon and seeping ooze changes depending on your preferred flavor of death. Jordan Varela (In-Conquered, Shuriken Cadaveric Entwinement, Lust Decay) is well-versed in the art of death metal from the drum seat for a variety of respected secular underground bands. Taking his drumming talent and adding in his own guitar work and vocals, this well-seasoned death metal vet is unleashing a sobering slab of old school death metal in the debut album of his solo project, Dichotomy.
Jordan has played drums in the secular scene for over 20 years and many years before that, demonstrating an unrelenting intensity in perfecting his craft. He is often mentioned as a force that should be named among the great kit masters of the genre. Reading an early interview on Sick Drummer, I could tell Jordan’s intensity and sincerity directed at his drumming craft more so than any spiritual ideology. Somewhere along the line, Jordan heard Jesus’ call to use his incredible talents for the Kingdom and in true death metal fashion, he was uncompromising in his response. The concept of this first album is simple. There are two sides: God’s and Lucifer’s and you must choose. If you choose to ride the fence, well, “Lucifer Owns The Fence.”
For an old school death metal album, this lands at a good length with nine hard shots over the course of 30 minutes. Each of the songs is unrelenting and doesn’t pull punches, yet varies the patterns so you don’t know where those punches are coming from. It can be exhausting without any melodic relief, but little things in each of the songs provide solace such as the groove in “The Fence,” rhythmic harmonics in “The Perseverance” and the chugging riffs in “Through Christ We Live.” Otherwise songs tend to be controlled chaotic affairs pounding your skull with incredible precision.
The concept for the album is based on Revelation 3:16 where Jesus addressed the church in Laodicea as follows: “So because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to vomit you out of My mouth.” That is perfect imagery for death metal! Being lukewarm is being on the fence between God and Lucifer. Like most extreme metal, deciphering lyrics for me is impossible, although I can tell there is an urgency in the delivery. The concept translates beautifully into music.
The style has its umbilicus still attached to thrash with the punk speeds, blasting double bass, and frenetic guitar and bass work. It is an unrelenting and punishing tour de force through endless drum assaults exhibiting incredible skill and ability across all of the instruments with top speed precision. The omnipresent vocals have a tenor roar that make the project contrast the more common cookie monster gutturals. The timbre isn’t my favorite, but Jordan’s command of rhythm in the vocal delivery is quite fun covering for the lack of lead melodies. The frequent use of pinched harmonics add some interest, but gets wearisome in its attempt to scratch that melodic itch.
The drum work is absolutely monumental! I’m not a drum nerd, but Jordan is in the highest class with Jayson Sherlock (Mortification, Horde, Revulsed) and the late Ted Kirkpatrick (Tourniquet) in my estimation. The precision and speed is superhuman. This is aided in the mix that allows more breathing giving more of an old school style instead being compressed to death. That said, I would have liked the guitars ever so slightly forward in the mix as I felt that the equally impressive precision in the guitars was hidden beneath the drums and would have added more harmonic texture that I was missing.
This is brutal old school metal done right with a masterclass in how to brutalize a drum kit. The other instruments do well, and the vocals fit the bill even if not my favorite approach. I am inspired by the blunt and bold declaration of faith to chance not the fence and to cling to God’s side. This is truly a bright light in a dark place and I am happy to have this in my arsenal. If ever I need something brutal, this one will be on my short list along with Revulsed and Burial Extraction.
Rating: 8/10
Written by Sean Bailey
Tracklist:
1 – He Is…
2 – The Antithesis
3 – What A God
4 – The Fence
5 – Better To Be Drowned With A Millstone Around Your Neck
6 – The Perseverance
7 – The Greatest Lie Ever Told
8 – Through Christ We Live
9 – Satan Will Kill You
Dichotomy is:
Jordan Varela – everything
Release Date: July 3, 2026
Record Label: Rottweiler Records
Social Media: Facebook | YouTube | Spotify | Bandcamp
Video for He Is ..
The Fence (Audio Only)