Decapitated - Blood Mantra
It's been said before I know but I'm saying it again the fact that Decapitated are making music at all after everything guitarist and founding member Vogg (Waclaw Kieltyka to his mother!) has been through. If Decapitated’s return album 2011's "Carnival Is Forever" was half the quality it was it still demanded your respect. I think the only other band that comes to mind that have been through so much turmoil and lived to tell the tale AND keep the quality of their music at an outstanding standard is Mayhem.
I couldn't believe some people even had the nerve to bitch about Kerim Lechner's drumming on that album that he isn't as good as Vitek (Witold Kieltyka R.I.P \m/) and no doubt some smart ass will bitch about new drummer Michal Lysejko also. The bottom line is this if their good enough for Vogg then they are good enough for you, so shut the fuck up! Rant over onto the new album.
On the monumental "Carnival Is Forever" the band really upped the ante on the technicalities and the sonic delivery of the music. There was even a subtle hint of a Meshuggah influence that ran through it. I wasn't at the forefront but just in the background with a rhythm here and an odd time signature there. Decapitated have always been a technical death metal band but with "Blood Mantra" they have delivered their most straight up album. There's no major change in the sound but the songs on display here are straighter forward in their approach and have a more traditional death metal feel about them.
The two opening tracks 'Exiled In Flesh' and 'The Blasphemous Psalm' (the later being 2 and a half minutes of pure mayhem!) kicks things off nicely in pure Decapitated fashion. While 'Veins' is a basic riff and a four by four drum pattern. It played with the bands signature sonic blasting but stripped down it could easily be a punk song! There are moments on this album that remind me of "Chaos AD" era Sepultura and that's a good thing! Speaking of the Sep's check out the atmospheric closer 'Blindness' with it's revolving tribal rhythm. It's slow and build's to a climax and leads the album out with the quiet interlude 'Red Sun' the whole thing has a Neurosis feel about it which is great. The real highlight of the album is 'Nest' it's one of the band's best ever songs and I dare I say it, it's actually catchy! But listen to the title track you'll hear that they haven’t abandoned their technical side just yet! As much as they have tried different things it all sounds like a natural progression. It still sounds like what you would want from a Decapitated album.
To sum up "Blood Mantra" is a fantastic addition to an already faultless catalogue. It may not replace your favorite album but it won't be far behind it! It's worth getting the special edition. The DVD isn't great but worth watching but the bonus track 'Moth Defect' is well worth the extra bit of money.
I couldn't believe some people even had the nerve to bitch about Kerim Lechner's drumming on that album that he isn't as good as Vitek (Witold Kieltyka R.I.P \m/) and no doubt some smart ass will bitch about new drummer Michal Lysejko also. The bottom line is this if their good enough for Vogg then they are good enough for you, so shut the fuck up! Rant over onto the new album.
On the monumental "Carnival Is Forever" the band really upped the ante on the technicalities and the sonic delivery of the music. There was even a subtle hint of a Meshuggah influence that ran through it. I wasn't at the forefront but just in the background with a rhythm here and an odd time signature there. Decapitated have always been a technical death metal band but with "Blood Mantra" they have delivered their most straight up album. There's no major change in the sound but the songs on display here are straighter forward in their approach and have a more traditional death metal feel about them.
The two opening tracks 'Exiled In Flesh' and 'The Blasphemous Psalm' (the later being 2 and a half minutes of pure mayhem!) kicks things off nicely in pure Decapitated fashion. While 'Veins' is a basic riff and a four by four drum pattern. It played with the bands signature sonic blasting but stripped down it could easily be a punk song! There are moments on this album that remind me of "Chaos AD" era Sepultura and that's a good thing! Speaking of the Sep's check out the atmospheric closer 'Blindness' with it's revolving tribal rhythm. It's slow and build's to a climax and leads the album out with the quiet interlude 'Red Sun' the whole thing has a Neurosis feel about it which is great. The real highlight of the album is 'Nest' it's one of the band's best ever songs and I dare I say it, it's actually catchy! But listen to the title track you'll hear that they haven’t abandoned their technical side just yet! As much as they have tried different things it all sounds like a natural progression. It still sounds like what you would want from a Decapitated album.
To sum up "Blood Mantra" is a fantastic addition to an already faultless catalogue. It may not replace your favorite album but it won't be far behind it! It's worth getting the special edition. The DVD isn't great but worth watching but the bonus track 'Moth Defect' is well worth the extra bit of money.
- Exiled in Flesh
- The Blasphemous Psalm To The Dummy God Creation
- Veins
- Blood Mantra
- Nest
- Instinct
- Blindness
- Red Sun
- Moth Defect (Bonus Track)
