ALBUM REVIEW: The First Damned – Decapitated
In the realm of death metal, Poland’s DECAPITATED are often held with the highest of regards. Since bursting onto the scene at the turn of the century with Winds of Creation, a record that set the benchmark for technical death metal, the band have grown into one of the genre’s flagship names. Whilst multiple lineup charges, some enforced through the most tragic of circumstances, have besieged the band over the course of their career, 2017’s Anticult more than proved there is still enough destructive firepower left in the DECAPITATED arsenal. Now comes The First Damned, a collection of early demo material intending to offer a snapshot into the origins of one of death metal’s most revered names.
Compiled of 1997’s Cemeteral Gardens and 1998’s The Eye of Horus, the material the band recorded prior to signing to Earache Records to unleash Winds of Creation, the biggest takeaway here is just how ridiculously the talent is within the band’s ranks at the time. Winds Of Creation is often celebrated for how insanely technical the music on offer is but with The First Damned‘s material dating a handful of years prior to that debut record, it suddenly becomes all the more impressive. Dearly departed drummer Vitek was only 12 years old when these songs were put to tape and the technical precision he exhibits across the collection is simply mind-blowing, with The Eye Of Horus‘ cut of Nine Steps being just one of many highlights, whilst guitarist Vogg (aged just 15) consistently impresses with flurry after flurry of highly technical riffs and solos, a trademark of the band’s style to this very day.
Indeed, whenever there is a release of retrospective material from a band, they often come hand in hand with a overhauled remastering job to capture the sound of how the musicians truly wanted it. However, this is not the case with The First Damned as the only overhaul has been with the album’s artwork. The music on offer here is in the same raw and volatile condition they were recorded in all those years ago. And whilst latter era fans may be put off by the rougher mix, the sheer energy DECAPITATED exude across both demos is simply exhilarating.
Their cover of SLAYER‘s Mandatory Suicide packs an almighty punch where vocalist Sauron particularly impresses with his low guttural snarls, Ereshkigal (one of two songs that were left on the cutting room floor and never made it on a full-length release) is embodied with the rawness of the typical old school death metal sound whilst it is executed with the utmost precision and adrenaline and Way To Salvation is a schizophrenic barrage of blast beats and dizzying riffs that ebb and flow ever so well.
DECAPITATED are a very different beast to who they were 25 years ago but The First Damned shows just how pivotal that first chapter was to catapulting the Poles to the position they are in today. Relentless, brutal and with a ridiculous amount of talent displayed across the two demos, if anything, Vogg presents this release as a loving tribute to a band who had their entire future ahead of them and dared to dream big. And for that, The First Damned is nothing short of being an essential listen for anyone who appreciates extreme music.
Rating: 8/10
The First Damned is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.
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