One of the most consistent bands in the death metal firmament, Decapitated have had more than their fair share of tragedies and, by the same token, more than deserve their time in the spotlight. Back with a new album, their first since the band’s appalling collective experience in America saw them falsely accused of rape, Decapitated are on fiery form, delivering ten tracks of absolutely crushing metal, defiantly reasserting themselves at the head of the pack. With guest appearances from Robb Flynn (Machine Head) and Tatiana Shmayluk (Jinjer), Decapitated deliver an immense performance, turning in one of the metal albums of the year in the process.
Following the short, scene-setting intro of From The Nothingness With Love, Decapitated announce their return with the album’s blistering title track. Not that Decapitated have ever pulled any punches, but even so, Cancer Culture is a particularly virulent example of their uniquely dark and savage oeuvre, leaving the listener breathless in its wake. With typically intelligent lyrics addressing the court of public opinion, it’s hard not to consider the track in the light of the band’s gruelling experiences, and it adds an additional layer of vitriol to an already vicious song. Just A Cigarette is no less tumultuous. Driven by James Stewarts’ remarkable percussive skill, it is a dynamic song, that is all the more brutal for the moments of calm the band allow to permeate the mix. Yet, rather than allow the space to grow, Decapitated unleash ever more brutal riffs, unleashing the primal No Cure with customary gusto and almost surgical instrumental precision. Yet, even here, the band conspire to surprise, incorporating progressive elements (albeit in brief) into the mix, demonstrating their complete mastery of the form in the process. With the album reaching the halfway mark, the band unleash the first of their two guest spots, bringing out Jinjer’s Tatiana to further reduce the audience to quivering wrecks. Tatiana, a gifted vocalist, gives her all to the track, and the band match her every step of the way, with an instrumental backdrop of pneumatic aggression.
Opening the album’s second half, Robb Flynn brings his typically effusive presence to Iconoclast, a piece that moves from its darkly harmonised opening guitars to a vital, thrash-infused number, which recalls the fire and fury of Machine Head’s own Burn My Eyes – no small achievement in itself. Suicidal Space Programme takes aim at those who dream of conquering space, when they have failed even to secure the future of their own planet. A dark, dystopian piece shot through with eerie melodies, for all the heaviness that abounds, it is a powerful number. The thrusting rage of Locked sounds like Pantera and Meshuggah going head-to-head in the studio, while Rafal Rasta Piotrowski delivers an absolutely crushing performance from behind the mic. Mercifully short, although its intensity more than makes up for its brevity, Locked gives way to the oppressive Hours As Battlegrounds. A track that takes its time to fully build up momentum, it occupies similar space to Gojira, as eerie, delay-washed passages give way to monstrous riff tsunamis. An unsettling, even cinematic piece, it provides a potent counterpoint to the untrammelled rage of its predecessor, and it showcases, once again, the band’s masterful grip of dynamic. The album concludes with the similarly epic Last Supper, which provides the album with a suitably seismic finale.
Decapitated are a band who, over the years, have experienced more tragedy and heartache than most bands could be reasonably expected to survive. That they are here at all is a testament to their strength of character and to their belief in the power of their music. Well noted for their instrumental prowess, it is all the more impressive that the band continue to evolce and refine their sound, and Cancer Culture emerges as a mature, intelligent record, flawless played and powerfully produced. It stands as one of the band’s most impressive outings to date and, without doubt, will feature high amidst the albums of the year. A more than welcome return from an outstanding band, Cancer Culture is a monster of an album. 9.5/10
