The Depressick - Faded.exe

The Depressick is a DSBM band from Mexico City, Mexico who formed in 2013.  “Faded.exe” is their second full-length album; they have also released two demos, three EPs, and three splits.

I don’t know much about Mexico city in particular or Mexico in general, but it must be one depressing place to create music like this.  The desperation, the despondency, is so thick across the album’s 7 track, 46 min runtime that it’s mentally exhausting at times.  Of course, the band includes post and atmospheric elements as well so the sadness is tripled.  

In the band’s own words, “negativity, misery, poverty, sickness and filth,” of their environment contributes to their bleak sound.  It sounds like the members haven’t had the best life and have been put through the ringer.  With that being said, they are clearly trying to persevere, in a way, to use these experiences to push out great music like this.  It feels odd calling something born out of such misery “great” but it's also a testament to their talent and, ironically, of the human spirit. 

The vocals are what one would expect for an album such as this—and very solid.  There are howls/screams that are common for the genre but some good ol’ fashioned blackened grime.  Musically, as I mentioned earlier, it includes elements across a few sub genres but it is first and foremost a black metal album.  The guitar/bass tones and the drums capture the underground energy of the scene.  The album never lets go of its blackened roots even when the band brings out some of their more layered musings. The bass, specifically, offers the album a deep sound, a rumbling of darkness that permeates throughout.

“Shattered Heart,” is a solid opening song as it gives a good indication of what to expect across the rest of the album.  All seven songs differentiate enough from each other but it is a safe bet that if you like this one, the rest of the album will meet expectations.  It begins immediately, a surprising amount of energy for a band of this style.  The vocals are torturous and pull the listener along through the winding tunnels of pain. As the song builds, it becomes more layered and expansive but it still sounds powerful.  After the 6:7 mark, ambient clean tones cascade across the bleak sky just before the crushing weight of distortion rests on top.  The lead guitar offers a melody so stark that I actually felt bad.

“HCI” uses electronic beats in the beginning but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t work and fits firmly into their sound. This might be my favorite song on the album, I love the bass and the dirge-like guitars.  The vocals are extra emotive too—the first three minutes or so of the song are quite the journey.  Afterwards, the drums kick up the tempo but the guitars and bass still grasp that atmosphere….I feel this song really represents their sound.

“Papillon (Part 1)” starts off as one of the more straightforward songs on the album but a surprising twist is on the way at the 2:31 with more electronic elements and some sort of cultural chant. It sounds very interesting and it works in the context of the song.  A lot of DSBM bands would be afraid to do something like this but The Depressick are clearly no ordering representation of the genre.  That’s certainly a good thing. 

With “Faded.exe,” The Depressick have created an album that is as hopeless as anything I’ve heard this year but it’s also unique and engaging enough to stand out from the pack.