Centinex: Rising from the ashes for an 8th album
From the ashes of an old battle field grave comes Centinex's 8th and brand new album 'World Declension'. Bringing yet more death/thrash metal combinations to the scene, it could be thought that Centinex would have a hard time competing with all the competition within this genre but, with Centinex having experience and explosive sound, this album isn't one to get buried under the ashes of the war that the metal industry could so easily become. Hailing from Northern Sweden and being active on the metal scene for 15 years, it is evident that Centinex must be doing something very right to be as successful as they are and 'World Declension' proves this by absolutely massacring any doubt that may still be lingering in the back of any dubious metal fan's mind.
The overall style in sound appears to be much more concentrated within thrash metal then death metal, with the instrumental band having a much steadier pace and a tightly structured, melodic rhythm line that is separate from the other melodies and makes Centinex's music easier to digest as a whole. The only evidence here that there is death metal influence rising within the relatively restricted rage is through the raw and gruff low range vocals that seem to roar above the harshly overdriven guitars. The result is a slightly more melodic genre of death metal mixed in with a healthy touch of the speed and agility of thrash. 'Victorious Dawn Rising' is the opening track that rages in with a perfect synchronisation between guitar, bass and drums creating an impact akin to the sound of a vicious gunshot. Indeed the theme of the album and the songs within it seem to be very much orientated around war and hence the songs follow this theme and do it in style. The guitars have an overdriven quality and rage with uncontrollable speed and power, teaming up with the bassist to pack that extra punch needed to blow the listener into a storm of metallic rage and agony. The ever-roaring vocals seem to soar above the steady war between the guitarist and the drummer and bring them back together during the chorus in such an effective way that it sounds as though the vocalist was almost commanding orders to the rest of the band. The overall sound is like that of a chaotic battle field, the dawn rising on a bloodied field of victory for Centinex.
Most of the album focuses around this same kind of theme but while the same basic guitaring, rhythm and compositional techniques are used a lot of the time, the band try to compensate by fast time changes and heavy melodic variation in the gruff voice of the vocalist; choosing to use more of the scale than just monotone and ongoing growling as well as microphone muting like a lot of other bands of a similar nature tend to do. 'Wretched Cut' is one such song, mixing death metal screaming with a clean cut vocal style that makes the gruff vocals being released upon the listener much easier to digest and understand. Furthermore this ever so slightly calmer approach to the music seems to work incredibly well over the violence and pure untamed anger created by the drums, lead and rhythm guitar which burn away at the music's mood like sulphuric acid on bare skin. Always mutating and shape shifting into something different, 'Wretched Cut' most definitely shows off Centinex's talent extremely well and thus should be considered at least one of the highlights of the album. 'The Destroyer' is another such track, striving for more and more power as its melodies rise and call out for more and more carnage. 'The Destroyer' has a sound that reflects everything you would expect from a song with its namesake. Picture a blood-stained hunter, the murderous glint in his eye and the deadly sinister aura of the demise of many souls hanging in the air around him. A dark, sinister and deadly character that exudes malice and bloodlust, the hunter is always on the lookout for a new soul to capture and destroy to leave hanging at the gates of hell. This song exudes those following the path of the damned, the attack from the bass guitar and drums bellowing the constant beating of a war drum. Guitars marry with the vocals to create a sense of desperation, painting the picture of a condemned and tortured soul praying for the salvation of deliverance.
The impact upon the listener is raw and unforgiving and will leave you begging for more, waiting patiently for your soul to be taken in and delivered into the pure, dark ecstasy of Centinex's music. 'World Declension' encompasses an Armageddon of pure dark power all in one short offering of carnage. The emotions and power behind this metallic offering are loud and clear and yet again prove that experience and survival in the metal scene really does pay off, an excellent release.