Decadence
3rd Stage Of Decay

It was a particularly dull day when I stumbled upon this platter. Yet another band with Swedish roots, another swedish metal album, beautiful but one we could ultimately do without? All the signs were there: the band's place of origin, name, logo, and especially the position of lead singer held by the exuberant Kitty Saric, who appeared as a probable clone of the much-criticized Angela Grossow.

Never before had I judged the monk by their robe so hastily as that day. Indeed, it is what one might define as yet another Swedish metal record, but with a decisively more pronounced furious melodic thrash tendency, and most importantly, endowed with a strong personality. Perhaps it’s because the group produces thanks to the label founded by none other than the singer herself (not bad for a 19-year-old girl!), allowing for full creative freedom? One certainly cannot remain impassive to the assault of the opener Corrosion, which kicks off the record with extraordinary grit. The death component is all there, as well as some black hints, but in a manner decisively different from the usual crowd of At The Gates & company cousins. The guitars are always at the forefront, churning out fast, melodic, and furious riffs without ever being boring or repetitive.

The structure of almost all the tracks is based on accelerations and decelerations, while Saric's raspy voice storms through mercilessly. The title track has a decidedly more complex plot compared to the rest of the record; the melodies generated by the guitars almost sound plaintive, and Kitty has much more space to unleash all her rage. "Theater of the Absurd" returns to the path of the opener, opening with a steady pace before picking up a speed that it maintains until the end. Settle the Score is perhaps a bit too static and easily bores, despite the catchy chorus. Hit achieved halfway also with "Sculpture", valid but doesn't fully convince. Finally, the album comes to a close with Invert and Endgame, for which the initial statement holds, vocal outbursts ("Invert" is perhaps the track where the unleashed singer gives her best) interspersed with endless melodic riffs and frequent speed variations. The lyrics are mostly focused on introspective themes and, in line with the band's moniker, decadent; one could say they somewhat echo Arch Enemy and Dark Tranquillity, but in a decidedly less elegant manner, let's say more raw and angry.

The judgment can only be positive, although it's necessary to raise a few points. The first concerns the honest performance of the percussionist, perhaps a bit too honest. The drums never surprise, not that they are monotonous, but they don't strive to add anything more to the tracks that are dominated by the sound of the strings, the thrash imprint could have been certainly more impactful with a more inspired use of the double bass drums. Further downside, although engaging and remarkable, Kitty's sinister voice tends to become somewhat repetitive in the long run. The songwriting is excellent, perhaps a bit too focused on the melodies that embellish each track, but they have the advantage of providing an immediate and transparent listen. A simple, brief, and definitely impactful album.

The previous "The Creature" was already a remarkable test, and in this new release, one can notice a significant growth in the band; should we expect some fireworks with the next album?