Reviewed By: Alan Lisanti
Score: 8 out of 10 horns
Decryptus is a Thrash/Death Metal crossover project from New South Wales, Australia. They have a demo (released in 2013 and called Demo XIII), and this EP out so far. I'll be reviewing their latest release, The Necrotic Design EP today. The first thing that stuck out to me about this release and this band before I even heard a single note was their cover artwork, and the fact that this whole EP is just one song long. The song shares the same name as the EP, The Necrotic Design. However, it is split into three parts or sections. Part I is called The Chrysalis Throne, followed by Part II Altars Of A Fleshless Void, and concluding with Part III Ouroboros Rising. For a Thrash/Death Metal band to go the route of epic song writing like this was something unique to the style of music they're playing, and an ambitious undertaking as well. The song is 15 minutes and 18 seconds long. I listen to a lot of different genres. I've seen Sludge, Doom, and some Death Metal bands go the long song route. However, it seems more common in genres such as Doom, Funeral Doom, or even Progressive Metal. For this to be their first EP, and the fact that they describe themselves as Thrash/Death with some Hardcore influence, it certainly had my attention from the get go. For a band to choose to go this route from the onset is something you don't see everyday. The cover artwork looks cool, but the more you look at it, the more little details you seem to notice. Visually, the artwork does a great job of representing the concept through the depiction of an apocalyptic looking scene, and an evil, skulled out Pope. This artwork is an exercise in subtlety to a certain degree, in that it represents the concept well, but does not over do it, or get overly specific. This is the perfect kind of art that achieves its goal, but also leaves you room to think and interpret things for yourself. All of these factors collectively struck me as if this was a band that had something to say. I think when musicians are brave enough to take calculated risks such as these, and when they handle their project with an overall sense of establishing their vision, it comes across in the whole aesthetic of the band and their work. They lured me in with the artwork, and peaked my interest with their 1 long song approach. Of course, the question was: "Could they pull it off?" It is no easy feat by any means to write long songs, or just write songs in general. When a song approaches the 15 minute mark, the biggest thing could be to steer away from redundancy and/or repetition. Once you grab the listener, the last thing you want to do is bore them to the point where they lose interest before the song ends. You want to keep things interesting and moving along. You want the song to breathe, and keep evolving. That said, I think this band accomplishes what they set out to do with this release, and they manage to keep it interesting the whole time as well. Will Magnusson, vocalist/guitarist, has said that this is a concept EP based on a combination of an Orwellian-esque Dystopian future, and government conspiracy theories. I think the artwork, lyrics, and overall delivery meets that mark. By the time you reach the end of the song, I'm thinking you'll agree. Each of the three parts walks a very fine line between maintaining the overall concept, and switching things up for the listener. This is another feat that is handled well by the band, and a key factor in the overall reception of the song. The band never loses sight of it's concept, but isn't afraid to step out of its own box. The quote or excerpt included from George Orwell's,1984, was a nice touch too. Rounding out the lineup is Sam Phillips on drums, Dane Mckenzie on guitars, and Dominic Zambelli on Bass.I gave this one 8 out of 10 horns only because I think these guys are just scratching the surface with what they can do as a band. If this release is any indication where these guys are headed, the future is looking bright. Keep an eye on Decryptus, and give this one a listen. This is a solid 15 minute and 18 second long exercise in sonic indulgence that never loses it's grip on you once it pulls you in.
