Decapitated offer us all a nice slab of Death metal cake.
Hosting a veritable legion of excellent death metal bands such as Vader, Behemoth and even at times Vesania we all knew Poland was a great place for the grimmest of grim metal, but yet again we are reminded, in this case by Decapitated's latest output 'Organic Hallucinosis', of just how bloody good it is.
Opener 'A POEM ABOUT AN OLD PRISON MAN' sets matters off just as how they will proceed over the course of 'Organic Hallucinosis': Brutal death metal drumming, harsh grunts with deliciously heavy yet intriguingly intricate guitar work. This basic, yet effective, formula is the one that runs throughout the entirety of the 30 minutes we are offered and although few of the songs differ much from one or the other there is little to complain about.
Rather than simply being yet another Death metal band, Decapitated (besides the usual goresome name) offer more than your usual stylings. Laid-back sections, reminiscent of some sort of brutal form of stoner rock, whilst still retaining a harsh and blasting style nonetheless are evident in the obviously drugs-inspired 'Revelation Of Existence (The Trip)' and 'Flash B(l)ack'. On the latter song as well as the inspired album closer 'Invisible Control' we see Decapitated's unique guitar stylings. Cold and technical (whilst still tastily heavy) this is more reminiscent of more melodic bands such as Amon Amarth than the more obvious luminaries such as Nile and Death.
There is really little to point out that is bad or flawed on 'Organic Hallucinosis'; even the very short running time of thirty minutes is negligible as a concern. Rather than drawing out the experience over too long a time, the impact and effect of the album is best taken in as a short, sharp shock to the ears. Unlike many other bands, who trying to fill the almost prequisite 45-60 minutes an album seems to need to be these days end up making a prolonged and ultimately dulled impact, this album manages to hold on to these qualities and makes for an excellent effect in the listener.
'Organic Hallucinosis' then is a perfect example of the quality of brutal death metal that Poland is churning out these days. With excellent technical song writing, an uncompromising sound and crystal clear production this is a great album. If you make only one Death metal purchase this month; Make it Decapitated.