An Extreme Black Metal band from Portugal. Formed in 1990. With fourteen studio albums under their metal belt. July 10th, 2023, saw the band release their unpublished album From Hell, recorded in 2008, featuring ten intense blackened songs, that would gratify fans of Nethermancy (Portugal) and Bathory. The album was released through Haloran Records.
Introduction:
Decayed, From Hell: This review will evaluate every aspect of the album, from its intricate musical composition to its production. Our analysis will provide valuable insights to help you determine if this album is worth adding to your collection.
The First Three Sins of From Hell
Let’s start by discussing the first three sins of Decayed and their album, From Hell.
The First Sin, The Strings/Keys: The guitar work is characterized by swift and fierce shredding and tremolo riffs, creating a weighty and distorted sound that will leave a lasting impression. The Second Sin, The Vocals: Involves raw and animalistic vocals. The Third Sin—The Percussions: The drums, in contrast, are primal, and feature blast beats that perfectly complement the raw and animalistic vocals.
The Fourth Sin: Overall Discussion: Filthy and unholy extreme metal that’s faster, intense, and harder-hitting…
Immediately immersed in the opening piece From Hell, the music begins not wasting any time setting this palpable mood, with a haunting atmosphere with the tolling of the bells. Following suit with the second piece, Black Metal Onslaught, which, without question, unleashes a black metal onslaught upon the listener’s innocent soul.
Upon delving deeper into the third piece, Spikes Leather Bullets, and the other seven tracks, you will realize that this album is an exceptional portrayal of extreme metal’s raw and unconventional essence.
Devotees of this genre will be thrilled that Decayed offers faster, more intense, and harder-hitting music than most black metal bands while retaining a distinctive and innovative sound. This album is an undisputed forbidden fruit of extreme art that will leave an indelible impression on its listeners.
From Hell is an album that showcases an extraordinary level of musical expertise, both instrumentally and vocally. Its sound is fierce, untamed, and powerful, akin to an unleashed beast ripping through the music. The variations of sounds, composition, and techniques throughout the album are expertly woven together, creating a raw and extreme atmosphere that captures the listener’s attention from the first song -until the end.
The energetic nature of the album is a true testament to the remarkable talent of perfect devilmanship, who has flawlessly executed the whole album, culminating in a true fruit of art. The (again) musical composition, sound, and techniques are a breathtaking showcase of powerful guitar playing coupled with a commanding and forceful vocal performance.
The album’s overall sound is reminiscent of a horror film, including tolling-bell and howling-wind sound effects that add to the tight and violent style of the composition
From Hell is an unreleased album recorded in 2008 consisting of re-recorded songs and one exclusive new track for this release: Infernal Waves and a Sodom cover, Blasphemer. They are a band from Portugal, but I’d never heard of them until I inked this review and bled my ears with their headbanging unholy music. It shows that you should entrench yourselves in things other than your norms.
The album comes to an end with the last song, Evil Incantation, which reaches its apex with a ghostly symphony of chants, complemented by the solemn resonance of bells that work in unison to produce an eerie ambience. This sends a shiver down one’s spine, evoking a sense of fear and unease.
We want to give a shoutout to Haloran Records for letting us review Decayed and their album, From Hell. Now, we’re going to wrap it up by talking about the final three sins and concluding the review.
You’re Listening to “Ancient Abgal”
PlayThe Last Three Sins
Let’s discuss the last three sins, our thoughts on Decayed and their album, From Hell.
The Fifth Sin, The Memorabilia: Is that for us, From Hell and its unholy blasphemer ten-track animal represent everything black metal and beyond … what more could the listener ask for?
Fans of old, filthy, and unholy black metal and sure to leave listeners in awe and will undoubtedly stand the test of time.
The Sixth Sin, The Artwork:
The album From Hell is a unique game changer as it doesn’t depict the typical hellish imagery one would expect. Instead, it caters to black metal and Lord of the Rings fans with its portrayal of The Black Gate or Morannon. “This gate was constructed across Cirith Gorgor and was the most fortified and direct entrance into Sauron’s realm of Mordor”
The Seventh Sin, Disrelish:
Nothing to disrelish within the musical spectrum of Decayed, and their album From Hell.
This concludes the Decayed, From Hell review.
Track-Listing:
- From Hell
- Black Metal Onslaught
- Spikes Leather Bullets
- HellWitch
- Blasphemer (Sodom cover)
- Prologue-Moonrise
- Drums of Valhalla
- F**k Your God
- Infernal Waves
- Evil Incantations
Decayed is:
- J.A. – guitars, b. vocals
- W – vocals
- K – bass
- V.A – drums
