Ok, Ok – I admit it: I’m an absolute sucker for melodic heavy metal. I love the shifts between brutality and soulful melodies offered by bands such as In Flames and Soilwork and I heartily wish that the dreaded ‘metalcore’ tag wouldn’t be applied to any and every band who break into melodic vocals as it instantly suggests a formulaic approach destined to grate on your nerves within the first three tracks – something that certainly is not the case with Germany’s Out of Decay whose self-financed debut ‘Arising of lost souls’ is a frequently thrilling, gleaming example of melodic heavy metal at its finest.
A ten track blast (the first track is an intro) that couples searing guitars with soaring melodic hooks, Out of decay are not seeking to reinvent the wheel here, rather thay have perfected the art of marrying crushing passages to a strong melodic sensibility that keeps the music memorable throughout. Opening with a brief, well-played intro, the first track proper is ‘awakening of a new era’  which sees guitarists Mike and Kay laying down some crushing grooves over the rock solid framework of Tobi (bass) and Manu (drums). Meanwhile the band employ two vocalists – Nils and Buddy – to alternate between the death metal roars of the verses and the melodic verses. It is, of course, a tried and tested contrast, but where Out of Decay score points is their obvious enthusiasm, their brilliant musicianship as a unit and the blistering solos, in particular, of the two guitarists. ‘Society of death’ is a heavier track than the opening barrage, emphasising the band’s death metal leanings over the more overtly melodic side, and you can see exactly why the band have built such a devoted following in their native Germany. This is material that is designed to be played live, but even in the confines of your living room/bedroom it easily sets the pulse racing with its powerful melodies and super-heavy riffs all of which benefit from the excellent mix (courtesy of David Vogt at Studio Greywolf) which balances everything perfectly for a crystal clear and devastatingly heavy sound. Couple that with the excellent artwork (from DOOM design) and you have an expert package indeed which shows just what a motivated band can do in this day and age, even without label support.
Having impressed over the first pair of tracks, Out of decay are on a roll when they hit ‘builder of destruction’, a blistering track that kicks off with a roar of fury and gets heavier from there. One of the heaviest tracks on the album it has a brutal groove to it that is guaranteed to get the mosh pit heaving, and it recalls the sonic might of melodic leading lights Soilwork with its fluid leads and deathly verses. ‘Rewind the time’ takes the opposite approach, opening with a gentle, melodic line and showcasing the band’s more sensitive side before building up to a fine, heavy climax. The follow up, ‘voices’ gives Manu a chance to work around his kit before the riffs kick in for another heavy blast that side-steps into a terrifyingly addictive chorus without the slightest warning, whilst a crushing beat down sees the band locked tight, as the groove takes over and drives the song forward. ‘Revenge’, as you might expect from the title, is a solid metal track that pummels the listener from the outset, and while the melodies are never far away the band vary their delivery and impact from song to song making sure it never sounds formulaic or repetitive.
Despite focusing on the metallic side, Out of Decay stand out on the excellently written and performed ballad ‘a perfect memory’ which is understated and performed with passion and power by all concerned. It showcases a different side to out of Decay’s side and introduces variety into an otherwise full-on record, similarly allowing the mighty ‘war’ to sound even more blistering in contrast to its softer forebear. ‘Dissipated life’ is a full-throttle attack that sees the band packing an impressive punch and then ‘masquerade’ closes things on a melodic note that neatly sums up the bands considerable strengths into one last blast.
Out of decay are an excellent example of the melodic metal genre. Emotional, powerful, passionate and insanely talented that this is a self-financed release only makes it all the more impressive because from the sound, the look and the feel of the album you’d never know it. If you love melodic metal that packs a powerful punch and offers vital, memorable, addictive melodies at the same time then Out of Decay are a band that you need to be checking out. This gets everything right and if there’s any justice Nuclear Blast or some similar label will be knocking on their door any moment.
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