There is something very special indeed coming out of the Extreme Metal scene in Greece; for the longest time, this reviewer had been blown away by Rotting Christ as the preeminent force for Extreme Metal in the country; their influence vast and powerful. There’s more to Greece than Rotting Christ, of course.
Once you dig beyond the surface with some vested interest and an open mind, you soon discover that Greece is truly a country to be reckoned with in terms of a burgeoning scene with exceptional Black Metal and Death Metal bands, and Decipher, despite being quite a young band themselves, has the chops to be in the very cream of the crop, based off of this release, in my estimation.
Evoking a vibe that recalls the cold and clinical approach of Mgła from Poland and fellow countrymen Varathron, that wonderful marriage of icy riffs, savage raspy vocals, precise drumming and melodic leads (such as on ‘The Black March’ and ‘Bound To The Wheel’) ticks all the boxes for those who enjoy their Black Metal with heaviness, foreboding and a sense of melody that helps make the album a welcome one on repeat listens.
The guitar work really is something to behold here, as the riffs are furious, tight and heavy, with the drums really accentuating them well; the thrashier feel of a track like ‘Bound To The Wheel’ benefiting from this approach. The same track also has a few leads that helps it stand apart from others, while the following tracks ‘Hail Death’ and ‘Towards Renaissance’ have slower tempos in parts that recall Mgła circa ‘Exercises In Futility’, which is not a bad thing at all, truth be told.
The vocals, however, are a treat for this listener’s ears, as they are that malicious and throaty rasp akin to the aforementioned Mgła, Germany’s Groza and Australia’s Hunters Moon.
Similar to an album I reviewed recently, Beleth’s Trumpet from Finland’s ‘Chapel Of Bones’, ‘θελημα’ from Decipher clocks in around the 43-minute mark and is, in my opinion, a strong contender for many End Of Year album lists, I’m positive it will be on mine.
