Progress of Decadence

Ya know, the fact that the few people that are into Overdose like to compare their previous thrash infested album Circus Of Death to Sepultura based off of the similar brand and Brazilian location is enough of an accurate statement. The fact that they took on a groove metal approach to follow that only further proves this point. However, don't take this as a knock-off brand of a legendary metal group, because while the styles and release sequences follow the footsteps of Max and co., musically it isn't really the same, and they're able to still churn out a pretty solid release that is unique in its own right, and delivers pretty well. The tough guy attitude is there, the stripped down and booming guitar chugs are there, and the Phil Anselmo like drawn out "yeeeaaahh"s are tacked onto the end of a lot of the lyrics. So if these things repulse you, then you likely won't be able to get past the bulk of this disc and should probably seek out the earlier power/thrash inspired Overdose works, because Progress Of Decadence rests on all of those typical elements of groove.

Surprisingly, the riffs are not what catch my immediate attention, likely due to them being pretty tight but not really special. No, the drum work on this is actually its strongest feature, possibly the best in the band's discography. Andre Marcio is the mighty talented man behind the kit, creating some scattered kicks and intense clattering of the snares to build an extra layer of intensity to the guitars. To be honest, the blandness of the rhythm sections would likely cause this album to fall through the pitfalls if not for the stable support from the drumming, and for that, the record is basically saved. Now, don't mis-read this as the guitar work being completely free of luster, as the raw distortion and squealing delivery of the higher notes create such a threatening atmosphere along side solid rhythms. But, do not go into this expecting it to be super stellar, because this isn't what I'd call a "guitar" album, and melody certainly isn't one of its strengths either. Taking it for what it is, it's very worthwhile, so the key is the right mindset. Also, despite all of this, "Deep In Your Mind" has one of the most ripping guitar solos this band has ever put out, and the vocal delivery is on point as well. Most likely, this is the track to check out first if you're new to Overdose, as it's the best one this album has to offer.

I'm no expert on Brazilian music as a whole and traditional stylistics that base a lot of their non-metal music, but I can't help but feel like this has a hint of their culture, which definitely assists some of the blander tracks as well. Also, there's some other form of percussion that rides along the drums in almost every song, reminiscent of bomb and war like sound effects, except organized into a musical fashion that works very well. I'm unsure of what instrument this is, but no complaints about it are coming from me, and like I've been saying, it fills in some of the major holes of the song construction.

If it isn't obvious by now, this is clearly a groove driven album that lacks a decent amount in the guitar department, but uses a lot of neat tactics to keep the mold from collapsing in on itself. It probably could be trimmed back a little bit, nearing the fifty minute mark. It's one of those records that takes a few listens to grow on you, but by the end you'll still be anticipating hearing something else. Not a bad album by any extreme measures though, and I recommend it to fans of Pantera, mid-era Sepultura, Grip Inc., or really anyone that's open to groove metal.