To My Dismay

To My Dismay dropped “The Beast Of Bray Road” recently at the end of January from their upcoming sophomore album. They’re a melodic death metal/death metal band from Indiana who reformed two years ago. They’re kinda proggy, kinda modern….there’s a lot of different vibes you get from this band. You can check out the debut album below, along with their latest single. Stay up to date with the band on facebook in regards to their follow up album. I think it’s gonna be a stellar effort if it’s as good as this single. - Technical Music Review

Melodic Death Metal from Indiana you say? These guys hail from a town called Peru, and I’m sure they are the heaviest band to come from there in a long while. To My Dismay is set to release an album on June 23rd called Ancient Hysteria. One reason Melo-Death isn’t that relevant in modern times has a lot to do with the fact that originality is few and far between. I’m happy to say that this album doesn’t fall into the usual tropes of the dying genre, but rather brings hope and the possibility of other bands to follow suit.

Let’s get the influences out of the way by saying that this is a hybrid birth child of The Black Dahlia Murder and Born of Osiris. If you like those two bands then this is for you. The song structures are similar to TBDM and the usage of synth and vocal style is in the same vein as BoO. Progressive influences in the same camp as Between the Buried and Me are very noticeable and I find that to be a good thing, well…because BTBAM is badass. There is more to say, however, because there are hints of metalcore and even power metal at times. There is quite a bit of variety to be enjoyed, and I’m pretty impressed by ambition they seem to possess.

As far as the music goes, the guitars are very impressive and the vocals are pretty good. Not a huge fan of the guttural vocals, but that’s out of my own preference and not necessarily a fault of the vocalist. The production is pretty solid as well as the band had done most of it themselves. The melodies and songwriting are impeccable and meticulous. My favorite track from the album has to be “Skinwalker.” To be honest, I enjoy most of the album and I will probably listen to this over and over. “Sexual Creature” is one of the BTBAM influenced tracks and I find it a good way to break up the flow of the album, as this kind of music tends to become monotonous after awhile. Another track that I found interesting was “The Curse of this Town.” The synths offer some atmosphere and set an ominous tone for the rest of the track.

Ultimately this album is very impressive and it will definitely be one of the highlights to come out of Indiana this year. If you like complex guitars and brutal vocals then this for you. Head on over to their Bandcamp page on June 23rd to purchase their new album Ancient Hysteria. - Indy Metal Vault

Reviewed this a while back, thought I'd share here. Enjoy!

Do you miss classic Trivium, As I Lay Dying, Parkway Drive and All That Remains? Are you tired of the obscene amount of autotuned clean vocals in metalcore today? Well this album will scratch that itch and itches you didn't even know you had!

The meat of the album is death metalcore, but there's so much more on the plate here. With elements of melodic, thrash, technical, progressive, power, and synthwave (yes, you read that right) the album takes you on a musical journey at breakneck speed!

Right off the bat the album starts with a minute long synthwave instrumental and soon this makes way into the song Turncoats, a dose of adrenaline to the ears.


The synth makes its way into the background of most songs, in others like Tall Shadows the synth plays a more prominent role in the music and even gets its own solo.

The order and writing of the songs were carefully laid out so there is always something fresh to listen to. I listened to this album 5 times in one day to review it and wasn't bored at all! This album didn't just grab my attention, it held it!

There are no clean vocals! No generic autotuned bullshit! If this bothers the "but I can't hear the words" crowd, fear not! The vocals are easily understood for the vast majority of the songs and the lead singer has a range that many pros don't have.


The drums tend to lean towards thrash metalcore (think Trivium & BFMV) but can spring to death metal speed at a moment's notice.

The guitarists rely on slick riffs and shredding instead of using generic chords and add layers and layers of melody.

The bass is competent... just kidding! Although the bass player is the most background sound of the group if you listen closely you can pick out some fairly complex rhythms that add to the experience.

Did I mention the synth? Whoever did this had the job of taking a very unmetal instrument, making it one, and somehow pass with flying colors. Goddamn, dude!


Now while I could sing praises for this album all day, it is important to note that there are a few rough edges. A few transitions from section to section that could have used an extra note or 2 to make it seamless, where the lead singer strains too hard, where the drummer's tendency for thrashy drums makes the drums feel slightly out of place.

But this is a first album, and these are merely moments that only a trained ear will pick up. This album shines with more skill and polish than most released by major artists these days.

8/10, standing ovation! Well done!


Edit: here's the Bandcamp link if you want to listen to this album - http://tomydismay.bandcamp.com/album/ancient-hysteria - The Scratched Record

To My Dismay is a metalcore band based out of Indiana. The album was completed DIY, largly by the guitarist which is impressive considering the production quality. The band mixes excellent use of synth for both electronic and symphonic approaches alongside the usual riffage that the genre is known for. I must say, the guitar hooks are the star of the show here. There are so many gripping and memorable moments thanks to the work on the axe. With a little more work on tightening up the vocals, I definitely see this band going places. Check out Ancient Hysteria below - Metal Trenches

To My Dismay was a band that formed in the late 2000’s and went on a long 6 year hiatus. After reforming with a couple of member changes, the band has been back at it for the last couple of years.

Ancient Hysteria is the Bands first full length album, which was all self produced by the bands guitarist Anthony Wouster /WouStudios. All of the production was done in a living room, with minimal knowledge, and a lot of time spent in producing the best possible tracks.

Initial feedback has been rather positive so far, as the album has begun to spread around. After each show, more and more fans have been buying copies, along with shirts and stickers. TMD is slowly starting to become a recognized name amongst the local Indiana scene.

The album features 11 tracks, which includes a lot of different elements and sub genres packaged into the bands overall sound. There are hints of melodic death metal, metalcore, progressive, power metal, and even synthwave…yes, synthwave. There are no boundaries when it comes to creating music, and setting limitations is never a good idea.

Each song was carefully crafted to have its own unique qualities but still keep that TMD vibe. It’s not so much a bunch of randomness, but carefully constructed music composition to keep the listener entertained. Most the songs average around 3 minutes so they start quick and never ease up.

If you’re a fan of bands like The Black Dahlia Murder, Born of Osiris, Veil of Maya, Unearth, and Darkest Hour, chances are you might enjoy To My Dismay. - The Circle Pit