Список групп Death Metal Decrepitaph Condemned Cathedral

True Old School Death Metal: Primitive and Putrid!! NO Gravity Blasting - NO Breakdowns - NO Slam - NO Pig Squeals - NO Modern DM Influences - NO Drum Triggers - NO Overpolished Production. NO FUCKING TRENDS!!!

That’s how Decrepitaph describe their music on their Myspace page. A description that you will agree with once you take the time to listen to Condemned Cathedral.
Even if their moniker sounds like some cheesy pun intended for fans of splatter movies, the fun stops right there. Members of Decrepitaph (Dallas, Texas) have thus released their first full-length for the almost always excellent label Razorback Records which have given us lately many many fine records.

With the obvious intention to come back to the original sound of Death Metal made in 1987-1991, Decrepitaph just seem to try and ignore the genre’s modern standards. Here, you will not find any superfluous ‘guitar-wanking’ technicality a la Necrophagist. Tracks have been written to be efficient and in your face.

The production may be too much (or too little) to deal with for fans of the New Wave Of Death Metal (Origin, Obscura, etc.). It’s not that the sound is too raw and indecipherable, it’s just your ears would almost believe you leaped back in time some 20 years ago rediscovering what Death Metal sounded like at that time. Decrepitaph do not invent anything but recycle with class the standards of this Golden Era such as Asphyx, Incantation or Cianide.

The sound is dark, almost incantatory. The guitars are so down-tuned that I bet you’ll just have to readjust the settings of your equalizer if you fear for the foundations of your house. When I hear such a typical sound (or atypical, your call), the classic Slowly We Rot pops right out of my head. It’s also reminiscent of earlier Death Doom productions from the UK like Decomposed and Lord Of Putrefaction.

From classic records, Decrepitaph do not only borrow their sound but their ability to write great tracks. The songs alternate fast parts with good ole double-pedal drumming with down tempo parts that reach the bowels of hell like Autopsy knew how to play best.
The vocalist, without reinventing the genre, delivers extreme growls a la Ross Dolan and contributes to add to the evil halo of this record.

Supposedly a new album is scheduled for the fall of 2009, again for Razorback Records. I’d like to think that this will helpDecrepitaph gain (even?) more recognition in the not so distant future. This record will give a thrill to fans of an era that for many is not dead yet and will eventually satisfy others who may be wondering whether modern Death Metal is not going round in circles.
Although the influences found on this record are many, they are well digested and transcribed to make it a unique album and not some tasteless patchwork or a first release that’d feel awkward because it would not have assimilated those influences. Here, influences are like a proclamation and that is the strength of Condemned Cathedral. Where other acts always try to sound better or different than the competition, Decrepitaph follow a simple guideline form which they won't be sidetracked. They enjoy what they play and so do we.