It’s more than thirty years since Decayed Existence began their crusade of crushing death metal, bringing immaculate riffs and darkly imaginative song writing together through an absolute understanding of the very heaviest of metals. Refining their art and building the foundations of an enduring legend through a plethora of demos, compilations, EPs and full-length albums, the California band has made an indelible mark in the annals of extreme metal. However, their story is far from over! As summer fades once more and the autumn nights draw in Decayed Existence will unleash what may well be the most powerful and exhilarating release of their decades spanning career…The Beginning Of Sorrows.
About the album
Opening with the intense immediacy of Escape The Dead, The Beginning Of Sorrows plunges listeners straight into a vortex of glorious riffs, steeped in the essence of classic death metal. The band shifts smoothly through the gears, changing tempos from driving energy to slow, agonized passages. The kind that grind the bones to dust… Then, from that oppressive weight a superb solo spirals upwards, bringing to mind the seminal work of Chuck Schuldiner and James Murphy. As The Beginning Of Sorrows continues the lead guitar work establishes itself as a key ingredient of the band’s sound. Indeed, adding a dimension of depth and melody to the surging power of this formidable set of songs.
The ever present Harry Rocco continues to be the beating heart and engine of the band. A drummer /vocalist in the fine tradition of Beehler and Reifert and every bit as effective. First single, Beheading The Colossus is the epitome of what Decayed Existence has to offer. With its fantastic hooks and genre defining riffs… Riff after riff of utter class, everything makes this album an absolute joy to listen to. But The Beginning Of Sorrows saves the best till last, concluding with three tracks captured live that are simply monstrous! Detonation in particular is a beast… A nightmare amalgamation of adrenaline fueled headbanging and vast, crawling horrors! When The Beginning Of Sorrows ends, all too soon, one can’t help but think that Decayed Existence, despite their years in the frontline trenches, might be about to start the most exciting chapter of their career to date.
Production info
However, with the studio recordings produced by Andrew Giordanengo (Everything Destroying etc) and the live tracks captured by Jake Ottinger, this album sounds vibrant and dangerous throughout. When it will come out on October 11th, via Rottweiler Records, this album will drive Decayed Existence back into the forefront of the underground metal consciousness! Exactly where they deserve to be. Prepare to be crushed!
Lineup:
Harry Rocco – Drums/Vocals
Jeffery Ke – Lead Guitar
Ryan Brown – Bass
Kyle Balsiger – Rhythm Guitar
*Additional guitars on The Beginning Of Sorrows by Jason Davis and Richard Nash
*Additional vocals on The Beginning Of Sorrows by Keith Thompson