ALBUM REVIEW: Anticult – Decapitated
DECAPITATED have had to face a lot of critics since their restructure in 2011 and their change of direction that initially felt like quite a considerable contrast to their previous releases but the doubters were swiftly silenced when they released their 2014 effort entitled Blood Mantra and cemented the fact that they are still on their A game and are most definitely one of the most creative and refreshing bands in a scene which is becoming particularly predictable.
In our recent interview with Vogg he stated “I’m looking more for interesting melodies and interesting riffs going on and the structure of the songs. I can still play very fucking technical stuff but I don’t feel like I need to show off anymore.” A few years have since passed and the curiosity has reached fever pitch as to whether they can surpass the benchmark they set for themselves and that day is rapidly approaching as their newest creation Anticult is due for release on July 7th via Nuclear Blast Records.
The album commences with Impulse that includes a very dark and unsettling intro before kicking into pummelling drum passages combined with visceral shredding immediately setting the tone for what’s to come. The riffs come thick and fast and the vocals are so visceral that they cut like knives giving the naysayers whoever exclaimed a shred of doubt in DECAPITATED‘s abilities a mouthful of skull crushing ferocity to digest, before you know it Anticult shifts up another gear with the bone jarring three pronged attack of Deathvaluation‘s dynamic tempo, the mind meltingly sublime solo’s of Kill The Cult and the twisted black metal drenched brutality of One Eyed Nation which is enough to leave your head spinning.
As Anticult reaches the halfway point you are welcomed by a wall of blast beats in the form of Anger Line, a track that would have slotted pretty suitably into their Organic Hallucinosis era material. Previously released tracks Earth Scar and Never promptly follow which are two of the strongest slabs of punishing death metal that DECAPITATED have ever devised as the band’s 7th studio effort continues to drag you through its unrelenting maze of intricacy before the pace begins to relax as the album closer Amen feels like a post workout cool down allowing you to breathe and comprehend the sheer battering you have just received.
Despite the album consisting of around 40 minutes of material (which is a ballpark figure for their previous work) there is an all killer, no filler quality to Anticult. It is concise in its construction which keeps your interest piqued but at the same time is jam packed with a plentiful array of riffs that are the equivalent of being hit by a bulldozer. A lot of extreme metal albums usually leave you with that inevitable feeling of fatigue due to their sheer intensity and technicality but Anticult gives you a real rush of adrenaline that makes you instantly crave for more. To choose a standout track would be a very difficult task as any offering from Anticult would prove to be a phenomenal addition to their already incendiary live standard and the album as a whole is a true testament that quality not quantity will always conquer.
Rating: 9/10
Anticult is due for release on July 7th via Nuclear Blast Records.
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