Descent

German death metal band New World Depression released their fifth full-length album called "Descent" in 2020 and it is a powerful addition to their already impressive discography. I stumbled upon the band through their latest album “Interment of Sins” which surely has to be one of the best straight-forward old school death metal pieces of 2023, but going back in time proves the assumption right that these lads have done some quality stuff before. There is nothing flashy or innovative, just a bit less than 40 minutes of good old pummeling and a potpourri of the best elements of the style. While I would argue that their most recent record has probably the slightly stronger material this one is not far behind.

The opening track, "Ceremony of Delusion", sets the tone for the entire album with its crushing mid-tempo riffs, thunderous drumming, and guttural vocals. This is followed by "Scoff till Death", which, with its laid-back pace, intricate guitar work and simple yet memorable chorus part, is one of the standout tracks on the album. Throughout the whole album, New World Depression explores a range of tempos and moods, from the slow and menacing "Descent to Hell" which reminds of the mighty Asphyx to the ferocious and unrelenting "Nasha". The guitars keep churning out crushing chords and subtly melodic details throughout the whole playing time with the rhythm section providing a stabile backbone to the impressive axe work.

The music is punishing and brutal, but not without nuance or atmosphere. It could be argued that bands like New World Depression might be a bit too simplistic for many, more seasoned, death metal aficionados. That being said the music here is meant to be straight to the bone and enjoyable from the get-go, and New World Depression nailed the songwriting in a way that they exactly achieve that reaction. The playing is very tight, and all tracks are written in stringent manner with the just the right amount of variety. In some places they combine their loose chainsaw utterings in the guitar before giving way to short murky solos of somberness. There are a few sections bordering on the thrashier side of the genre, but for the main part they stay true to the originally formula defined by the heroes of the 90s. The growling delivered by singer Hütte is as beastly as it gets with the vocals still being easily understandable. Generally speaking, these lads do not need to hide when it comes to technical abilities while torturing their instruments.

New World Depression understood that passive listeners are mainly looking for interesting and cohesive songs when they are throwing an old school death metal album into the player, and not for different complex pieces of instrumentation randomly strung together. The songwriting is on point, and the flow of the album is great with a perfect placement of the single tracks. The production is exactly like it should be, giving the individual instruments enough room to breathe, despite the destructive and bleak nature of the music. New World Depression managed to walk the fine line between presenting their sound powerful and dynamic while keeping a certain level of muddiness and grit. The physical edition comes with a perfectly fitting old school artwork, so in case you have the slightest interest in this kind of dark yet captivating music that just never gets old you need to get “Descent” as soon as possible.