Decapitated
Nihility

THE REVIEW

The Polish band Decapitated has now reached their seventh studio album; just a few months ago, their latest work, “Organic Hallucinations”, officially came out. However, I feel it is necessary to take a step back a few years and return to what can be called their breakthrough album, “Nihility”, released by Earache (the illustrious label that has sponsored many bands in the field) in 2002. From the beginning, they were announced as the “child prodigies” since their first release, which saw them barely of age, already showcased an unexpected technical prowess for such young guys. It is understandable that with age, things were destined only to improve, and thus the band was acclaimed and put a step above others just for this reason. The contract with said label certainly gave a further boost to this group which now, overwhelmed by recording commitments (seven works in eight years of activity), has stood out in the Death scene, even overshadowing the name of much more valid and "seasoned" fellow countrymen like Trauma and Mutilation, not to mention the Sceptic or the historic Vader. Probably, those who praise this band don't have a great idea of what Death metal is, or rather, what it used to be, and they rely on the newcomers.

It is impossible for me to question the technical skills of the quartet: throughout the album, it is clear what these youngsters are capable of doing with their instruments. The guitarist performs scales and chords of notable difficulty, all executed at a speed that borders on the impossible: the riffing is indeed very complicated and alternates practically continuous stop and go with more intense and rocky parts. There are very few slowdowns, and frequent are the solos, all rigorously performed in "Tapping," as per the traditional school. The drumming, also very close to the classic styles, consists of assorted off-beats (including sporadic odd times) and double-bass rolls that, besides testing the drummer's endurance, represent the true backbone of the songs. The drummer glories in his skill in almost every song: there is always a few seconds dedicated to a small solo. Its purpose? Probably just to amaze those who listen to an extreme metal CD for the first time. The bassist plugs the gaps, meaning he is given no space and does nothing but cover the points that a single guitarist can't adequately fill. The only one who doesn't care about being noticed at all costs as a phenomenon is the singer who, with his lasting and low growling (and to be honest, a bit static), completes the work excellently. The eight songs are well-articulated within themselves and show how the barely older than teenage Decapitated already know how to compose very well: certainly, the help of a perfect, almost artificial production (if we want, similar to that of a Nu Metal album) greatly benefits the entire LP.

So far, it might seem that I've given you the recipe for the perfect Brutal Death album: plenty of technique, highly structured compositions, and indescribable power. But “Nihility” has the effect of a wet firecracker: it doesn't explode. Their sound is embalmed with the characteristic traits of the Floridian bands from the early past decade, and so you get the impression of being faced with a more technical version of Malevolent Creation, Deicide, or Morbid Angel. The songs are indistinguishable from each other, and one often arrives at the unpleasant repetition of some riffs, perhaps changed by two or three notes: the mood is absolutely non-existent, and this tears the mask off our guys. It's evident that they make music only to boast about their abilities, following a mean principle of imitation of those who brought the genre up from nothing. Indeed. Because the Decapitated bring nothing new, just like many other bands outside the mainstream (Blood Red Throne, just to name one); it seems that their only interest is power and nothing else (and to confirm this, just take a look at the lyrics, as stale as ever). Forget the melodic incursions of the aforementioned Trauma or the experimental approaches of the new blood; this group offers nothing similar.
That's why, at the beginning, I said that “Nihility” might only enamor a novice: anyone with an idea of what many other bands of our days (see Cryptopsy, Gorguts, and Cephalic Carnage) are capable of will understand that even if the members of this group are very young, their proposal is dead and buried. Moreover, if we were to be particular, the three bands I mentioned earlier alone already have execution skills infinitely superior to the Poles, so I don't see the reason for all their display.

Surely it's not an LP to throw away because, though already heard, it's not rubbish, and it deserves a passing grade. From here to make them the new gods of Death metal, however, there's a huge gap: and don't come telling me it's no longer the season for Brutal Death metal because there are bands that are living proof that it isn't so. In conclusion, a record and a band unjustifiably celebrated, technically valid, but lacking in ideas and certainly not exceptional: they are exceptional only in their arrogance.