DECAPITATED
DECAPITATED “Cancer Culture”
By Dr. Abner Mality
It’s been one hell of a bumpy ride for DECAPITATED over the last decade, especially as far as the USA goes. I’m sure a lot of pissy vinegar about their ordeal in the States goes into the title track and the other compositions here. Musically, this band has been highly variable as well, churning out some high quality modern death metal in addition to some, shall we say, experimental tracks that got a mixed reaction to put it mildly.
On “Cancer Culture”, we get the full DECAPITATED spectrum, ranging across everything they’ve ever done. The energy level is high throughout and while I definitely like some tracks more than others, this is an entertaining slab of modern death metal. The early tracks tend to be the most extreme and brutal. “From The Nothingness, With Love” kicks things off and barely lasts a minute, but is no “intro” but a blistering burst of speed and aggression. The later track “Locked” is of similar length and is even more intense, crossing into technical grindcore territory. Most tracks are longer, but nothing hits the five minute mark and I find that helps the flow of the album.
The record definitely has the “Nuclear Blast” house production so expect clarity and sharpness but also a kind of digital sound. The title track and “No Cigarette” are good, but it’s “No Cure” that really slams hard with a great track of aggressive death metal. “Hello Death” starts out that way, but then gives us the first diversion of the album, as there are female vocals and some sedate melodic moments. “Iconoclast” has a strong thrash metal backbone that kicks ass, but again ventures into some off-kilter and unpredictable sounds. This has been a part of the DECAPITATED playbook for a while now and on this album, they keep to it, but seem dedicated to making the thrash and death metal parts as heavy as possible.
“Suicidal Space Programme” is another melange of harsh and melodic, but with the last two cuts “Hours As Battlegrounds” and “Last Supper”, it seem the band bends more towards straight melodic death metal. I prefer the more intense stuff, but the guys do demonstrate their musical chops more here.
With “Cancer Culture”, DECAPITATED is back in action with a generally strong album. If you like well produced and modern sounding death metal, this will float your boat.