Decipher throws down crushing dark menace on their debut album, Arcane Paths To Resurrection.

Greek black metal band Decipher came into being in 2017. They released an EP in 2019, Of Fire and Brimstone, and the new record is their debut long-player. Undeniably a black metal band, their music exists under a fairly broad umbrella that welcomes in heavy metal fans of many stripes. The band is Mick Leventellis (vocals, chants), Kostas Gerochristos (guitars, bass, vocals, chants), Kostas Xatzis (guitar), and Nodas Chatzopoulos (drums).

“Chants Of The Unholy” is a willing assault, and the exact best way to start the set. Ripping and tearing, rushing at a shred, then pulling up and shortening the tempo to deal some dooming death before ramping up again. Witheringly brutal with the occasional groove thrown in. More than occasional, actually, which is a mannerism I came to appreciate in this music. As hard and rugged as it is, you can exist in it. “Lost In Obscurity” opens with a riff that could work in an Anthrax song. Roughened up in every other respect, Decipher charts its own dark way. “Arcane Paths” is a mystical transitory piece leading to “Enslaved To Be,” a belligerent grinder with masterfully melancholy guitar work.

“Altar Of The Void” is an epic song, and the centerpiece to the set. While we have heard hook and groove intertwined with black metal throughout, this song perfects the melding. The long form allows for nine minutes of wandering through adjacent lands and related spaces, telling a deeper tale. “Penance” is monstrously heavy, and “Sanctum Regnum” highlights the underlying style while showcasing the flashier points. Good work here at the end. Recommended.

Arcane Paths To Resurrection is out on Friday, April 21^st through Transcending Obscurity Records. In the US, Bandcamp is a great place to pick up the album and merch. Links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://decipherbm.bandcamp.com/album/arcane-paths-to-resurrection-black-metal

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/decipherbandgr

Transcending Obscurity Records, https://transcendingobscurity.aisamerch.com/

© Wayne Edwards