Decrepisy - Deific Mourning

Decrepisy is a death metal band from Portland, Oregon who formed in 2019.  Their latest album, “Deific Mourning,” is their second full-length album.   Honestly, I had not heard their music before getting this promo but I’m very familiar with the other bands the members belong to.  Among the four musicians, we find seasoned vets from bands like Negative Prayer, Funebrarum, Coffin Rot, and Vastum, among many others.

Death metal is extreme, sure, but it is so rarely scary.  This album?  Quite scary, unnerving and creepy as fuck.  It has all the tropes of a death metal album but it also has a big doom influence to its sound as well.  From my understanding, this is more doom oriented than their debut.  Well, it certainly helps give the album a damp, dismal sound to go along with the “a monster is behind you and about to eat your soul” atmosphere it constantly generates.  

Imagine if some ghastly creature was chasing you; you’ve tried to escape from the point of exhaustion but you know the end is near.  Suddenly, you find a deep cave that could be your way out of your living hell.  Hide in the darkness?  Loose the beast among the catacombs?  No.  You’ve only descended into your final resting place.

That’s how this album sounds to me.  

Of course, the real story about the album is far more scary.  Guitarist Kyle was left in a state of his own horror and uncertainty after his body was destroyed by vaccine damage.  The fear of own body’s meltdown is certainly as harrowing as any  horror story and he poured all the anxiety ridden unknowns into this fantastic release.

The album kicks off with “Ceremony of Unbelief,” and it’s weird guitar tone that sounds almost alien.  Clearly, the song (and album as a whole) isn’t afraid to make the listener uncomfortable.  To me, this song represents the true essence of death/doom/extremity that has been lost.  Music like this isn’t supposed to make you feel anything but…..doom.  This song slithers way through, doomy passages entwined with chunky gallops and sudden change in tempos that are loaded with groove. 

I love the eerie beginning of the title track, further showcasing the band’s penchant for horrific soundscapes amongst their brutal foundations.  I’m a massive doom band and there are few things in life more enjoyable than a low, slow song.  The first four minutes or so gives me exactly that.  It’s sprawling in a subtle way but oppressively heavy in an obvious one.   The riffs open up more as the song progresses but it never loses its dismal qualities. 

The leads pair with the riffs on “Severed Ephemereality,” to create a hellish and unnerving feeling.  It’s sick, twisted, and against the grain of good taste—again, this is what I’m looking for in extreme metal and, again, the band delivers it.  The riffs are ugly, brutal, and made me feel like I’m in a grave with dirty being piled on me.  The guitars are very detailed, deceptively so and this is a song you’ll want to listen to over and over to get the full effect. The solo after the 3 minute mark is fantastic, as are the catchy riffs that back it up. 

The final song, “Afterhours,” is a bit trippy…in a totally flesh peeling sort of way.   The tones are maddening, the build up putting me in a fit of trepidation. The clean chanting pushes it to another level but the smattering of lead guitar holds down the groundwork for this disturbed journey.  This song is the perfect ending because it's the only way it could have ended.  

Rating:  Excellent