DECAPITATED — Blood Mantra (review)

Album · 2014 · Technical Death Metal

4/5 · 2015-02-06
UMUR

"Blood Mantra" is the 6th full-length studio album by Polish death metal act Decapitated. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Records in September 2014. Since "Carnival Is Forever (2011)" there have been a couple of lineup changes as bassist Heinrich has been replaced by Paweł Pasek and drummer Krimh has been replaced by Młody. The remaining members from the lineup who recorded the predecessor are Rafał Piotrowski on lead vocals, and Vogg on guitars.

While Decapitated´s music is not solely defined by Vogg´s sharp and brutal guitar riffs, he is the only original member left in the band, and those signature riffs are the most important defining feature whenever listening to a Decapitated album, and that´s also the case on "Blood Mantra". Stylistically the band have moved a bit backwards to a more death metal oriented sound on a couple of tracks (predominantly on the two opening tracks "Exiled in Flesh" and "The Blasphemous Psalm to the Dummy God Creation") but other than that, the music on "Blood Mantra" is thrashy/groove laden extreme metal like the case was on the predecessor "Carnival Is Forever (2011)". Rafał Piotrowski has retained his aggressive shouting vocal style, but he occasionally also delivers more growling type vocals on this release. The death metal elements are few and far between though, and angular chugging thrash type riffing with an occasional industrial/sci-fi tinged atmosphere is a more accurate description for most of the material on the album. A less odd metered/easily accessible and more catchy Meshuggah often comes to mind, but a track like "Blindness" also features a tribal Sepultura influence.

When you listen to the 8 track, 39:48 minutes long album (the digipack version features the bonus track "Moth Defect"), it actually becomes apparent very soon, that it´s a relatively varied release within the confines of the band´s death/thrash metal style. As mentioned the two opening tracks feature quite a few death metal elements (semi-growling vocals, blast beats, tuned up brutality factor), but then tracks like "Nest", "Instict", and the title track pull in a more groove oriented thrash metal direction, and to close the album we have "Red Sun", which is an ambient atmospheric track, so it´s safe to say Decapitated try out a few different things on "Blood Mantra". With great success for the most part too, as the album is still consistent in quality and despite the diversity of the material, there is a great overall flow.

In addition to the well written material and the bleak futuristic atmosphere that "Blood Mantra" contains, the album is also well produced, featuring a powerful, clear, and sharp sound production, which suits the music perfectly. The musicianship is impeccable too, although the vocals at times are slightly one-dimensional and a bit too effect laden. So all in all "Blood Mantra" is a high quality release by Decapitated, and while the musical direction isn´t exactly surprising as it pretty much continues the direction which was initiated on "Carnival Is Forever (2011)", I still think Decapitated have refined their new sound on "Blood Mantra", and it´s therefore ultimately a better album than it´s predecessor. a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.