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Album Reviews : Decapitated – Anticult

By on July 4, 2017

If you’re in the mood for the specific sound Decapitated produce on every album, then boy have Decapitated just released an album! I don’t want to be too cynical, but that’s a lie and I totally do; this album is fine.

It’s good. Probably very good. I unfortunately can’t tell because Decapitated do their specific thing so well that unless they release something joyously birthed by Euterpe herself, or chuck a Suicide Silence and decide they’d rather be tradies (but they want to blame someone else for their career change) then they’ll just continue to release “solid” albums that exist as a fuzzy “6 to 8” on the Wanker’s Scale Of Musical Rating.

And so Anticult to me is one of those “solid” Decapitated albums. It does nothing new, which is probably good because no one would like it if they did, but it also does nothing egregious, which is also good for the same reason. But if that’s all we can hope for with any Decapitated albums moving forward, then I’m not sure I’ll be getting excited for any of their next releases. Maybe I’m just into a different type of heavy nowadays, but two things struck me about this album which have definitely started to make me think that I’ll jumping off the Decapitated Express at Anticult station, and I’ll be catching the Justice For The Damned replacement buses back to Carnival Is Forever station, because I know all the the different lines that run through there, like the Catchy Hook line, the Threatening Groove line, and honestly I’m shocked I’ve milked this metaphor this long and that honestly it kinda works if you’re willing to go with me.

ANYWAY THE FIRST THING I NOTICED is that nothing in the album popped. It all actually sounds pretty good in the moment, but it’s a musical Men In Black memory eraser flash; seconds after listening to a song it is completely gone from my memory, and I couldn’t even start to hum you a riff or vocal line.

The other thing I found my grim self thinking more than a few times was, “fuck me this riff is uncomfortably happy.” They just all sound so positive; they resolve happily on major progression, they’re in nice happy keys, and though I’m not saying it sounds dated, it just sounds like it’s from a bygone era. Even their earlier albums had a bit more foreboding to them. I like my metal more evil, or angsty, or fucked off, or threatening. This is just a tad to joyous for what my mind feels like it should be when I listen to it.

I feel like such a prat when I write a slightly negative review. Ta da! You have one cunt’s opinion! Like I said, if you’re in the mood for some Decapitated, you’ll dig it. If you’re not, you won’t. And further to that, I guess that if you’ve never heard them before, this would be a fine place to jump on.

Band: Decapitated
Album: Anticult
Year: 2017
Genre: Death Metal
Label:  Nuclear Blast Records
Origin: Poland

About

Mitch is a 26 year old vegan, socialist, atheist, utilitarian, reductionist metalhead, stand up comedian and philosophy major that hates labels. When he isn't being politely ignored at dinner parties he's being politely ignored on comedy nights around the country.