Decadence-Chargepoint

Last Updated (Saturday, 01 May 2010 20:31) Written by Miguel Blardony Friday, 30 April 2010 10:19

Release Date: October 14, 2009

Label: Spiritual Beast

Genre: Thrash

Rating: 9/10

Comments: A refreshing Thrash album that bucks the retrogressive trend.

A growly blonde chick spitting venom as she enunciates the lyrics; shredding guitars that have the finesse of your favorite thrash  metal axemen  mixed with Death’s flare for complexity; a solid melodic backbone that has become a patent of the Swedish scene; and last but not least is an unadulterated thrash tempo infecting  the nine tracks here. You’re probably thinking of...no, it’s not them. This is Decadence.

Born around 2004 and having the unequaled distinction of seeing their third album released thrice (once independently, once in Japan, and last across the globe, all done thru three consecutive years—the album’s called “Third Stage of Decay”), Decadence have put the time away from  a relentless gig schedule to good use, crafting a fourth magnum opus that will likely be remembered as the band’s finest hour. While still the mean thrash monster they’ve always been, “Chargepoint” marks a step in an epic direction for a quintet who have a taste for cross-genre frills. Considering the material at hand, it’s likely Decadence may opt for a bigger sound—think the multifarious Testament rather than staid, brutalizing Slayer—on succeeding releases.

Fronted by the fiercely independent and  iron willed Metallic Kitty, who happens to be the band’s manager outside of her vocal duties, Decadence do thrash the way Nigella Lawson does dinner—throw in a load of different ingredients but retain a credible foundation. With Decadence the usual speed, riffs, abominable spitfire vocals, and numbing percussion stay in place. What sets their style apart are the nasty flourishes of virtuostic guitar play (axeman Kenneth Latz is a comer) and  the dynamic song arrangements that kinda harkens to Metallica’s “...And Justice For All” as well as everyone’s favorite European power metal.

Muscular heavy metal takes charge on the tracks  “Out of Ashes,” “Fast Forward,” and “Challenge” while the speed takes voer for the excellent “Strength of Mind.” The old school is also well catered for, albeit refreshed by touches of Gothenburg melo-death, at “Silent Weapon (For A Quiet War)” and “Be Home When I’m Gone.” A vulgar display of power from a band wanting to rule the world, “Chargepoint” hotly contends for the thrash crown of 2009, but is beaten to the prize by Tenet. Ha!