In my opinion you are just experiencing what can be expected from that combination at such an early level.
DB doesn't offer that much damage mitigation until you start knocking down things regularly with Vengeful Slice and the Sweep combination. At the moment you have neither of them.
DA offers no significant damage mitigation until you get SOs, Dark Regeneration, Aura of Fear and/or Oppressive Gloom. At the moment you have neither of those, either.
So, while I don't know if your build will come together later (endurance might be an issue) I am not surprised that it does not at the moment. I would suggest you continue until you get your key powers and decide then.
If it has eyes, you can blind it, if it has blood, you can make it bleed, if it has a mouth, you can make it scream.
I have one of these and got my first possible combo asap. Its not one of the weakest combination of sets to start out with so if you started again then you may find you made an even worse brute to start with.
The problems could depend on how you slot and how you try to get the most out of it. You could be instinctively schedule B slotting certain powers early instead of schedule A and be gaining problems. There is ofc the question of balancing the content to your character and if teamed getting adequate support as no man is an island.
If your shy about your build just PM someone who could prove helpful.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
Is this a good build to stick with or would you reccomend respecing? I only ask as Ive died a lot though I am only lvl 15, maybe that's why and I don't have the 'good' powers yet. Either way I seem so far to die a lot more than brutes are supposed to die. Maybe I am just unlucky
The end is just a new beginning, Goodbye all my coh friends and even the enemies, its been a blast I will miss you all. Thank you Paragon team, you gave me a home from home I will always appriciate it.