Artist: Decapitated
Label: Earache
Release Date: 3/9/04
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Title: The Negation Artist: Decapitated Label: Earache Release Date: 3/9/04 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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5 | ||
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5 | ||
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Abyss's Review:
Yes! Yes! Yes! That's what I'm talkin' about! No, I wasn't just masturbating, I was just listening to Decapitated's latest death metal juggernaut... and then I masturbated (this is why you should always wipe down the computer keys at the library). Anyhoo, I don't want to hear any shit about how you've heard this stuff before, or that they are far too influenced by this band or that band. All I want you to do is shut the fuck up so I can listen to this album some more. Of all the 'straightforward' death metal releases of the last few years, this is one you don't have to defend. It just shreds from start to finish.
"One word review: Brilliant." Each song is a controlled kind of chaos that rends flesh and peels back fingernails. The riffs pummel, the leads rip and tear and the rhythms batter, amassing into one of the most satisfying death metal experiences in years. Each one of these aspects comes through loud and clear due to a crisp production job and dexterous fingers. I guess a few years and three albums will finally put the relative young ages of these dudes to rest, so we can now center on what solid musicians they are. This album is, in many ways, very technical, but doesn't hit like your traditional 'technical death metal' album. It seems to contain too much raw emotion, and whether it be hate, anger, or desperation, the album is full of heart.
Decapitated are arguably the best all-around death metal band active right now. Not only have they come out with three great albums in a row, they've carved their own niche in the market and made it painfully clear that it would be remiss to think only of Vader when the term 'Polish death metal' comes up. Decapitated's latest album is a sobering slap in the face to anyone who thinks death metal died in the mid-nineties, as it can still be brutal and interesting at the same time. One word review: Brilliant!
Death's Review:
"Well executed and with killer guitar solos, The Negation shreds from start to finish." Decapitated are now entering that stretch of their career where they transition from youing upstarts into a solid, core, genre-defining veteran act. The technical virtuosity mixed with death metal brutality has always been there. The question is, has the songwriting stepped up, and does The Negation have the production to lift the band past the higher expectations? The answer is kinda and yes. I'm of two minds when thinking about this album. On the one hand, it is pretty killer. State of the art Morbid Angel/Cannibal Corpse death metal. Well executed and with killer guitar solos, The Negation shreds from start to finish. But on the other hand, Decapitated had so much potential to take the genre to places it hasn't been before, and here, by staying so close to the traditional template, they have missed an opportunity to deliver something truly special. I guess I'll settle for a top-notch death metal record, and this is indeed that. Some bands have raw musical talent while others do not. Decapitiated do. They are worthy contenders, even if their magnum opus is still yet to come.
Hel's Review:
Favorite Track: “Three-Dimensional Defect”
"Decapitated continues to amaze and astound while ripping your head off and stuffing it back down inside your carcass." With every subsequent release, Decapitated become a more formidable death metal juggernaut. It seems almost unbelievable at this point, but their skill as musicians continues to grow, and their songwriting chops continue to mature as well. At some point their learning curve has to level out, yet at this point, I see no signs of it doing so – the level of their capability just keeps going up and up.
Within a veritable glut of outstanding music being released over the last month or so, Decapitated still manages to distinguish themselves with intense power and meaty substance. If they continue to realize their potential to the extent at which they have already done so, I am already salivating over what the future holds.
This is certainly a strong early contender for my top ten list. The Negation is exactly what you’ve hoped for if you’ve been waiting for this one to come out. Decapitated continues to amaze and astound while ripping your head off and stuffing it back down inside your carcass. A beautiful, beautiful thing.
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