It's fair to say that Bergen, Norway is more well-known for blasting black metal than post-hardcore, yet by all accounts the city has a relatively thriving hardcore scene, with Dyst being just one of its many representatives. Derailed is the band's first recording, I believe, and although it consists only of one eponymous track, it's still very much a promising demo. It's clearly had a lot of work put in, as the sound is clean and professional, while still sounding raw and aggressive like good post-hardcore should. Dyst's sound is pretty much a blend of everything that's been going on in forward-thinking hardcore for the past 10 or so years, from Refused (the first band that really jumped out at me, perhaps due to the vocals more than anything else) to the time-change chaos of The Dillinger Escape Plan via the savagery of say, Converge. Yet Dyst keep the formula fresh by chucking in a few touches to set them apart from the rest. There's an interlude where the band work in some dissonant doomy riffs, coupled with ethereal female vocals that float above the chaos in a manner reminiscent of avant-metal lot Maudlin Of The Well.

I'd need to hear a few more songs before I can truly begin to judge Dyst as a band, but Derailed is certainly a strong start to the band's recording career. It's exactly the kind of unbridled, furious hardcore that goes down a storm live, and with any luck Dyst will be able to hit the road, put on a blistering live show, and take their sound to the masses. Best of luck, I say. Dyst have got bags of potential, and if things go the right way for them, they could flourish into something very special indeed. In a world of generic hardcore filling clubs all over the world, it's nice to see Dyst bringing their own sound to the table.