Styles, trends, and bands tend to resurge a decade after their death, and the reformation of Minneapolis-rooted, sludge-metal hardcore pioneers Disembodied last year, a decade following their breakup, fits right in line with that phenomenon. After years of hardship, struggle, and turmoil both outside and within their ranks, Disembodied’s swansong was the monumental “Heretic” full-length released in 1999 on Edison Recordings (Coalesce, Starkweather, Acme), a record that few had the good fortune of discovering upon its release due to the band breaking up soon after and only touring for it very lightly prior to that. Now that the initial decade of the new millennium is behind us, having taken the old-school revival and tech-core movements with it, Disembodied and their prodding, unique brand of heavy hardcore can live to ride once again. “Psalms of Sheol” is the first sign of life from the reunited band whose core of Tara Anderson, Joel Johnson, and Charles Johnson in 2000 immediately formed the renowned albeit short-lived Martyr A.D. project from the ashes of Disembodied. To dispel any remaining confusion as to origins of the material on “Psalms of Sheol,” it delivers no new material recorded since their 1999 breakup. What it does offer, however, is a completist’s wet dream. People brave enough to pick this gem up from Prime Directive Records will get thirteen rare Disembodied tracks they have likely never heard before, and certainly never in fighting re-mastered form as they are presented here. Disembodied were no different than most actual hardcore bands of the 90’s, releasing exclusive material on 7”, splits, and compilations that all went out of print before fans could successfully source this rare material. In turn, classic live staples from the “Confession” 7”, the “Bootleg” 7”, their 1995 debut “Existence in Suicide,” and an assortment of key tracks that ended up on scarcely-distributed compilations that never made it onto the band’s widely-available albums and EPs until now were not only difficult to track down but many fans simply were not aware of their existence. The music on “Psalms of Sheol” drove witnesses to their knees in basement halls and VFW’s across the country years ago, and finally fans and newcomers to the band alike can have their nerves shaved down by the abrasiveness of vintage Disembodied on one glorious multi-fold digipack CD. This release also serves as the belated final chapter in the history of Disembodied version 1.0. As of last year, the band has added Martyr A.D. guitarist Charles Johnson to its ranks, and his contribution to the songwriting process of Disembodied’s upcoming full-length of new material (due out sometime in 2010 on an as-yet-unnamed label) lends weight to the belief that their new album could eclipse the band’s entire back catalogue, a daunting feat but one the band seems prepared to attempt. If 90’s icons like Damnation A.D., For The Love Of, Merauder, Blood Has Been Shed, and Turmoil (the latter two who are on the verge of releasing monumental records in 2010) can return a decade or more past their heyday and deliver new music that is as desperate and soul-searching as their early material, then there can be little doubt Disembodied will follow suit and unleash a new record this year that will knock the scene as we know it flat on its ass. Disembodied’s music lies at the heart of popular bands like Emmure, The Acacia Strain, and pretty much any other down-tuned, mid-paced metallic hardcore act making the rounds today. And while the credit was never quick to fall into their laps, Disembodied seem intent on seizing the respect and admiration which has been owed to them for too long. “Psalms of Sheol” is here to wake people up to their motives, while their unnamed upcoming album will annihilate the masses in rather messy fashion. Thus far since reforming early last year, Disembodied have managed to share the stage with a variety of both underground and established metal and hardcore acts ranging from The Acacia Strain, Terror, Poison The Well, Bane, Unbroken, Mean Season, Monument To Thieves, The Final Burden, The Mistake, Seven Generations, The Haunted, Architect, Make Do And Mend, The Judas Syndrome, and more. They also recently crossed the ocean to perform a blistering set at Ieper Fest in Belgium, which let Euro hardcore fanatics know that one of their favorites from decades past were alive and unwell, for which links to video footage from this performance below provide convincing evidence.