Decayed - Lusitanian Black Fucking Metal [War Productions - 2011]Decayed are among the longest running metal acts in Portugal, with their foundation dating back to 1990. "Lusitanian Black Fucking Metal" is their ninth full length, and with such a clear and self-explanatory term it's easy to guess what to expect. The old school red-black artwork, the track titles ("Eu Sou O Infierno", "Odio, Fogo, Sangue" for example) and their numeration (166, 266, 366 and so on, up to 999!) ooze with the ichor of first-wave black metal and beer. The album also contains cover songs of Bathory and Violent Force. Decayed's sound is indeed very influenced by Quorthon's legendary output. The riffs are simple and perfect, the sound is dirty, thrashed and crude, the vocals are spot-on and a bit drowned in the mix. After the experience with quite a lot of Brasilian and Portuguese bands, I must say that Portuguese language is very well suited for metal. Unfortunately the drums are electronic, but they don't ruin the experience of the album and they still sound ok. Classic bell tolls and wind samples and the uneatable, careful and scarce use of typical intro synth sounds are the cherry on top of the pie. A special mention also goes to the totally fucked up and thrashy guitar solos that get buried under the big mass of noise. Great stuff! If you're looking for something new and fresh, look somewhere else. "Lusitanian Black Fucking Metal" is like a jump in the past, and the total and sincere devotion of Decayed to the purest black metal sound is almost touching. It's impossible to stay still when listening to this album, it's like your head is forced to bang! I really can't complain about this album - you can't say no to nine tracks of good old school black metal. I loved this album and I'm sure that many others will easily enjoy it, while people who're tired of the same old sounds will tap their nose. It's their loss though. Four thumbs up for me. Nicola Vinciguerra
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