Decadence – 3rd Stage of Decay – 4.5/5
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Noticing a distinct lack of thrash in my specials, I set out on a quest to uncover some, and you would be shocked just how few good ones there are. I nearly passed over this one entirely, with that ‘melodic’ prefix to their genre title in metal archives, and with a vocalist named ‘Kitty’ I wasn’t expecting to find much. I’m glad to say that once again, I was wrong, for this is no small adorable kitten we have here, this is a Lioness, roaring an intense fury almost as easily compared to melodic death metal as it is melodic thrash.
The drums are rather basic, with a good change in pace making themselves known, prominently heard keeping the beat. The bass is all too quiet, and for the most part this is a two-pronged attack, consisting of guitars and vocals. The former of which here are what supplies the melody, and whilst they aren’t providing an aggressive assault they succeed in doing so much more than that. The riffs remain simplistic but addictive, hard hitting, and with enough variation and creativity that they never feel tired. Instead you will find yourself reaching for that repeat button time and time again.
And the vocals, don’t let the name fool you for this is no soft touch, with a fearsome growl she completes what the guitars do so well to maintain. At times bordering on the Angela Gossow (Newer Arch Enemy) deeper growl, she has something Ms. Gossow doesn’t; range. Equally capable of a high pitched shriek as the deeper melodeath-like growls, she spits a fury, an immense energy and passion comes through at high pace, easily compensating for any shortcomings there might be in technical ability.
The production is raw, particularly for a release only three years old, and they have succeeded in trimming all the fat. At only 35 minutes, this is a fairly short but incredibly consistent release, brimming with addictive riffs, melodic solo’s and growls that come in thick and fast, this is one example of a modern thrash release that does things a little differently.
Highlights: Corrosion, 3rd Stage of Decay, Invert
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