Self Released 2012
1.Utter Chaos Reigned 2.Desiring The Dead 3.Ineffective 4.Depopulate
5.Revulsion 6.Expelled To The Furnace 7.Bound For The Chamber
8.Honour Killing 9.Degrade The Body 10.Paraphilia
11.The Proliferation 12.Slave To Faith
Review by Chris
Smashing straight in
with frantic guitars and blast beat laden guttural nastiness,
Cornwall's Decimation show from the outset of 'Utter Chaos Reigned'
that they aren’t here to take any prisoners, rather pummel your
head in right from the beginning with this, their début album.
There's no let up at all, American influenced death metal ala
Malevolent Creation blasts mercilessly at quite a pace, mixing
mid-tempos with all out blast beat heavy sections perfectly.
'Desiring The Dead' follows on in suitably brutal fashion, there’s
an absolute torrent of blast beats on offer which really give the
band that killer edge and is where the band sound at their best and
most deadly. They’re not afraid to add melody into the mix either,
through the use of guitar solos which have a very traditional sound
which suits the brutal death metal of the rhythm guitars very well.
When the band slow the pace, its pinch harmonics all the way, giving
the song an even more American death metal sound and feel. There's a
real sense of urgency to 'Ineffective', beginning as it does in the
slower mid paced territory before opening up in a brutal salvo of
savage blast beats. As heard in the previous track, guitar solos are
used to great effect, slowing proceedings down slightly and giving
the listener time to gather breath before the faster blast beat heavy
sections are re-introduced. 'Depopulate' is another bruising song,
the pace and sense of urgency more than retained to once again make
for an extremely well constructed and well played slab of brutal
death metal. The band actually sound a lot like German
death/thrashers 'Dew Scented' here, the style of riffing deployed
would not sound out of place amongst one of their albums. The
production to Decimation's album is actually very similar to
'Inwards' by Dew Scented, so if you own that album, have a listen and
you wont be far off the mark with Decimation. 'Revulsion' continues
the theme heard in the previous track, the American brutal death
metal style beginning to take a back seat to the more European style
of death/thrash metal, again Dew Scented instantly spring to mind,
melody becoming far more prevalent, but used at faster paces which
makes for a great sound.
'Expelled To The Furnace' mixes U.S and
European styles of death metal really well, the brutality of American
death metal with the added melodic death/thrash of European extreme
metal works well; snapping from all out blast beat heaviness, to the
slower more technical sections. It has to be said, the further into
this album you listen, the more the band sound like Dew Scented at
their most brutal, which is not really a bad comparison is it?
Vocally there is variation, the main guttural death metal vocals are
the prevalent style, but when the harsher screamed vocals are
introduced, it makes for a good change in style and adds variety to
the album. Not that there needs to be much added as there is a lot
going and its all really well played, the songs being very well
constructed and sounding surprisingly original and interesting and
very entertaining. Title Track 'Bound For The Chamber' is a short
sharp lesson is brutal death metal, a whirlwind of frenzied blast
beats and even though its well over three minutes long, it passes in
lightning speed and is over before you know it and next up is 'Honour
Killings' which slows the pace right down for the most but which
never loses its intensity and the track then finishes in a barrage of
blast beats and manic riffing. 'Degrade The Body' is yet another
punishing song which mixes tempos and styles and has quite a
technical sound and style to it, choppy riffs stop and start with
great precision giving the band an extremely tight sound.
'Paraphilia' sees the band return to the European death/thrash sound
used earlier and again the band chop and change from slower sections
through to mid-paced and into faster blasting sections in an instant,
Andrews drumming a particular highlight here, he sounds like he's
giving his kit an absolutely monstrous beating.
'The Proliferation'
begins so intensely, there's no let up in sight and we're now on the
eleventh track, Decimation never sound like there waning or adding in
album fillers, every track so far has been massive, fucking
absolutely pummelling the listener and leaving them for dead, the
aggression captured in the music is second to none. Closing this 43
minute monster of an album is 'Slave To Faith' which more or less
utilises everything heard so far, paces chopped and changed, differing
styles of death metal mixed well to create another well played, well
constructed piece of brutality. The American style of death metal
being the predominant style used to end this album, and what a
fucking album it is. It has taken Decimation along time to release
their début album, but it is definitely worth the wait. The band
have obviously wanted to hone their skills as song writers before
unleashing the brutality onto an unsuspecting underground scene.
Brutal death metal that absolutely goes for the throat from the
outset and never really lets go, loosening its grip slightly in places
to let you draw breath before re-affirming its deadly hold. Its pure
brutal death metal from start to finish, well played, interesting
songs that pack such intensity that you really don’t want the album
to end. A stunning, intense and massively brutal début album that comes extremely highly
recommended.
8 out of 10
Band Page: Here
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