New around here. Want to get feedback on Decapitated's 2011 release "Carnival is Forever".

Cover:
Track Listing:

This was the first Decapitated album I've listened to and I have to say why the fuck didn't I find these guys before now? In particular, the opening track "The Knife" gives me goosebumps. Holy shit. As a guitarist myself, the appreciation I have for the complexity of riffs and precision Vogg demonstrates across the album has me stoked as hell. Having listened to a bunch more albums of theirs since, I think the singer on this one does a good job. He has screaming ability that is measured and effective while being just heavy enough to not take anything away from the rest of the music. If you haven't heard this one, I'd highly suggest to check it out.

they went from real death metal to something crap imo

Hey! First of all, welcome to the forum, hope you enjoy your stay. Second, there was already a thread created on this subject a little while back, we're one step ahead of ya. It's a few pages deep now, but if you want M-A's opinions on the album I suggest you give it a look:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=79892

Ah...thx for the welcome. I searched for it first, but must have missed it.

that album cover upon initial quick glance of a look would suggest to me this was a draconian album or my dying bride type band, the bands actual names suggests otherwise, but yea, there is my opinion.

what is the music actually like ? good question. i have no idea, cannot get past that cover. looks like what you would bury the dead house pet in, to appease a small child where as if the child were not about you would simply toss in the dumpster.

It's easily their weakest, which was to be expected. It's hardly Decapitated anymore, just Vogg and some other guys that he picked up. They still haven't topped Winds of Creation, although Organic Hallucinosis comes fairly close. Carnival generally has too much chugging for my taste though. Still a decent album.

Shit album.

I really enjoy it. It's not perfect, but all of the songs except "Silence" have some level of greatness about them. "United" is probably my favourite of the lot, but only by a little bit. It's very different to their back catalogue, which was to be expected, but I think it's still a very worthy album. It'll almost certainly be somewhere in my top 10 of 2011.

This & go read the other thread about it.

Mall Metal.

II actually really liked it, I don't understand all the hate. I think the reason why it's so disliked is because people aren't focusing on what the album is but what they expected it to be; i.e. a direct Decapitated follow up.

I find every song to sound the same. Simple chuggy riffs over and over again. The drums do nothing to interest me. The vocals sound very weak. Like Shaolin said, jump into the old thread where I have already commented. This album had a big pair of shoes to fill and the fit wasnt quite right. Believe it or not Organic Hallucinosis may very well be my favorite Decapitated album. Thats one of their grooviest, chuggiest releases. However this new one just doesnt even hold a candle to that let a lone stand very well on its own.

Honestly, I was over over dramatic, its not a completely shitty album on its own. It is just weak, dull, and uninteresting. However compared to anything Decapitated have already released: Shit Album. (I just wanted to use this Smiley)

I honestly had no expectations going in. I rarely ever listen to Decapitated. I have all their previous material but it's very rare I pull it out to take a listen cause I have so much other excellent death metal to listen to.

Saying that I feel I just expected some good or at least decently performed death metal. Didn't expect anything aside it would still be death metal.

I really didn't expect it to have more in common with metalcore from 03 with bromosh jumppushpit going. That's all. Really boring, uninteresting, uninspired, trite sounding. Someone could've put Sevendust or Acacia Strain on the cover and I would've have thought any different.

I never knew I enjoyed mall metal so much. Thanks for the heads up!

LOL FUCK DECAPITATED WITEK IS DEAD IT'S SHIT NOW

Get over it guys, they aren't the same band anymore. I find their older albums to be shitty anyway. I'll take this and Organic Hallucinosis over Winds of Creation and The Negation any day.

This is a heinously embarrassing argument dude, and this is coming from a defender of newer Decapitated.

There has been a increase in solvent abusers since i last posted a few weeks ago.

Heard mentality. There's a lot of it here.

I like both eras of Decapitated and Carnival Is Forever is a great album to my ears. "United", "Homo Sum", and "404" are their best ones, but they're all worthy.

That post was not an argument, it was my opinion of their work.

This album is limper than Hugh Hefner's, non-drug assisted dick.

Just wondering - does the music have to have true cookie-monster, guttural, 99% unintelligible vocals to not be 'mall metal'? I mean seriously? It's one thing not to like it, but it's pretty ignorant to come up with such a poor, inept label for what is a pretty damn talented band. To each his/her own, I guess.

I think this album is kind of shit, but I'm not surprised that some people here like it. I had a hard enough time getting over album title (which is the worst album title I've had the displeasure of reading).

Is Bjork on the album or just featured in the cover art?

I'd listen to it if she was. So the answer is no.

I think, "Carnival Is Forever" is the best album by Decapitated.

No, it also needs to have some actual death metal riffs. Cause that's why I think most people are calling or refering to it as mall metal. It's not just the shitty ass vocals. It's the shitty ass riffs strung together. Vocals wouldn't be as bad with something good underneath.

I will only say this new album is weak compared to Decapitated's older material, which had a lot more energy. We've seen Morbid Angel run out of good ideas, this is Decapitated doing the same thing. It's only natural for a band to make a bad album once in a while.

I beg to differ. The "Eye of Horus" demo absolutely KILLS Winds of Creation. If you haven't heard it you can find it on a compilation cd called "The First Damned".

A lot of people on this site are narrow-minded fucks who deem everything they don't like as "mallcore" or some other stupid term.

Going with the narrow minded argument I see. Why can't folks like you just accept that a fair amount of people on this site dislike modern sounding metal for musical reasons? I like the album, but it does sound significantly different than old Decapitated, often sounding a fair bit like Meshuggah, which naturally will turn people off.

Thashierthanthou, those people are too narrowminded to acknowledge that there could be any sort of difference in opinion than their own and can't accept that someone isn't apologetic for thinking that way.

SLK and Thrashierthanthou, my point flew way over both your heads. I don't consider people narrow-minded for not liking the same music as I do, I consider people narrow-minded for wrongfully catogerizing everything they don't like as "mallcore" or some other stupid-ass term.

And you missed my point that you can't accept that someone that isn't apologetic for their opinion (not sugar coating it and coddling people's feelings) doesn't mean they are narrowminded. People who bitch about these people obviously are.

Please point out where I said these people should be apologetic, because I know I never said that.

+1

Not my favourite from Decapitated, there's loads of energy and good riffs but not much sync between the band. It sounds like they all want to be playing a different song. I get that they're trying a different direction but it feels a little confused and offbeat. Not overly bad but you tend to expect more from a band that did such earlier masterpieces.

There you go. Just because I reworded it differently doesn't change the intent.

Don't forget that Vogg is the only remaining member of the band, so it's inevitable the sound would change a bit.

I still love the album. Almost a certainty to be top 10 of 2011.

I'm listening to this album for the first time and I'm only on track 2 and already bored with it. I really hope it gets better than this because I refuse to accept Decapitated can put out a shit album.