German metallers DISBELIEF have been bludgeoning eardrums for two decades, having survived and persisted where others have fallen, and celebrate their 20th anniversary with their ninth release, "Heal". Listeners are once again exposed to the band's own innovative brand of Death Metal, which incorporates elements of Thrash, Groove and Doom. As appealing as this metallic cocktail sounds on paper, and has indeed sounded on much of their earlier work, the combined ingredients - the songs themselves - fall short of delivering that knockout punch.

It should be noted that of the eight "ingredients" on this album, only the first four are original material; the latter half of the album is comprised of three covers and one remake. The lead track, "The Eyes Of Horror", launches the sonic assault, with machine gun riffing and double bass pounding. "Isolation" continues the trend but with more of a Groove feel. As "The Last Force-Attack" begins, there is the brief impression that the punishment will let up. Not so. "Certainty Of Reality" does slow the tempo down but, though plodding at times, still hammers away at you. Throughout, Karsten Jager's voice, a guttural cross between a growl and a scream, sounds like a tiger being treated to a sandpaper massage. Love it or hate it, it mixes with the music like Coke does with Jack.

Where "Heal" begins to falter is with the arrival of the cover songs. DISBELIEF's intention was to pay tribute to some of the bands that influenced them, and it is a diverse list: KING DIAMOND, CRIMSON GLORY and KILLING JOKE. As interesting as the band's takes on these songs are, the novelty begins to wear thin after repeated listens. They are not necessarily bad interpretations; rather, they are somewhat of a letdown after a stellar first half, which set the bar high. And it is rather unfortunate that the album closes with a remake of "Shine"; a rather bland and uninspired remake at that.

Fans of the band should enjoy this album and may appreciate the spin that DISBELIEF takes with the cover material. Fans of the genre or those new to DISBELIEF would do better by checking out their earlier releases to acquire a true taste and appreciation of this innovative band. "Heal" is a stiff shot that hits you fast and hard but requires a chaser to eliminate the lingering aftertaste.