“Anticult” released on July 7th, 2017 is the title of the new album from Decapitated, maybe a bit different from their previous work, but I consider it an evolution to their sound. As we know, the band was marked by their drummer’s (Vitek) premature loss, but as nothing can be done, life is going on and what they are doing is an honor to his sad loss. Three years have passed since “Blood Mantra” and the band marches on with the same line-up, with the addition of a new bassist.
Decapitated’s mainman, Vogg, is for me one of the best guitarists in the genre. He combines aggression with serenity and you feel like he is making the guitar speak. In a genre where everything is played fast and often monotonous, he finds the key to differ form that reality, delivering an amazing rhythm along with an eerie atmosphere. The drums suit the songs well, although they may miss some variety. The vocals are good and stick with the rest but the music is so good that I have little interest in vocals and lyrics.
In “Anticult” will also find old school Decapitated songs, one of which is “One-Eyed Nation“. The riffs thunder and roar throughout the album with a structured flow and the slow melodic passages let us take a breath before what follows. Their sound is a textbook for how a metal album should sound nowadays. Very clean while having a lot of gain, loud drums and bass lines that are always present amidst this chaos.
For me this is one of the best releases in 2017 so far, because of the great guitar work both in rhythm and lead parts. They come from a country not so developed (Poland) and they are doing something so big. It would be good for some people to leave their prejudices concerning extreme music aside and sit down and listen to this, in order for them to see how creative it is. (8)
Konstantinos Paizanos