Cursed Lands

"Cursed Lands" takes the progressive 'weirdshit' aspect of early nineties death metal to its ultimate conclusion. Sure, there were death metal bands that sounded more avant-garde than this (Pan-Thy-Monium being the best example), but I can't think of any bands that drove the speedy, keyboard-laden, sci-fi death metal sound quite as hard as Decollation. This four song EP is about as ridiculous and disjointed as death metal gets, but this isn’t a criticism. It is a ringing endorsement as far as I'm concerned.

Decollation was part of the Grotesque/Liers in Wait lineage, with Johan Österberg and Kristian Wåhlin both involved. Much of this record seems like a strange, garbled, alien version of "Spiritually Uncontrolled Art". Whereas that Liers in Wait record was lean and constricted, "Cursed Lands" is expansive and excessive (akin to Grotesque). What all three of these bands shared was a maximalist approach to death metal: riffs, riffs and more riffs. The difference here is that Decollation seems to have been Österberg's lead (he handles vocals and guitar), with the multi-talented Wåhlin as a member of the supporting cast (on drums, no less). The line-up is completed with a bassist who would later join Ceremonial Oath, and a keyboardist (the latter is busy on these tracks).

The prevalence of keyboards makes for obvious comparisons with Nocturnus. One way to describe this record is to imagine the faster parts of "The Key" crossed with Grotesque-style song-writing. That means free-wheeling seven-minute sci-fi epics with no sense of boundaries. There is little by way of structure. It is worth remembering that death metal was never meant to be sensible music. This kind of thing has always been about self-expression in the most ludicrous ways imaginable. Decollation struck deep into the heart of progressive death metal here. Österberg's vocals lean towards thrash (and Sindrome in particular), but the music is extreme, dizzying and non-linear (as death metal tends to be).

There are no dull moments here. Each song has unique qualities. Some riffs remind me of Death (such as the "Open Casket" part in the middle of "The Godborn"). Other bits sound like Voivod (such as the sci-fi part near the beginning of "Point of No Return"). There is an Egyptian theme on "Cursed Lands" (before Nile existed). There are even some gothy/crooning moments which predict the direction Wåhlin and Österberg's would later take with Diabolique. The overall result is a strange mish-mash of styles that somehow succeeds because of the band's enthusiasm. The Studio Sunlight production might not have been the best match for this kind of death metal, but this isn’t a major problem once you have allowed your ears to adjust to the unsubtle kick-drums.

This EP is one of the oddest, most exuberant death metal recordings ever made. On one level it is a shame they never recorded anything else under the Decollation banner. On another level, music like this feels more like a momentary expulsion of creative energy. Perhaps Decollation was a proof of concept, perhaps it was a labour of love. Perhaps it was both. None of this matters much in retrospect. This record is essential for fans of Nocturnus, Sindrome, Liers in Wait and Grotesque. I would also recommend it to those who like Afflicted, Hellwitch and Eternal Dirge. If you have reached the end of this review then I presume you like at least one of those bands. That means you need to hear “Cursed Lands”. Have fun.