Dekadent Aesthetix - Self Titled [Goatowarex - 2010]Dekadent Aesthetix are a post black metal band from Romania, and with this their debut album they boiling up potent, shifting, grim to playful mixture of : blacked/ Goth rock, synth lined post punk rock, black metal edges, pitter patter piano, soundtrack like moments, touches of low-key electroinca and nu metal, and pretty much what every else they fancy throwing in along the way to makes this self title début so quirky, varied ,shifting and often highly rewarding listening experience . The first full length track (after a brief opening track) “That” really shows you what to expect through-out the rest of the album- it opens with wondering and moody bass lines and proggy/ AOR guitar texturing with spoken word male voice on top, before soon it races up to electro modified clean rock/ blacked metal vocals and atmospherics punk stomp, then it drops it into heart beat AOR drums, felt keyboard/ piano pitter-patter and a sample from a dramatic scene in a hospital drama where a patient life is trying to be saved, before it whizzers back up to atmospheric punk/ rock stomp, and this all happens with-in the tracks just over three and a half minutes. Later on we have “Zia In Care Decisive Sa-Ti Camper O Aram” which starts out with a melodic post punk/ indie guitar stomp, then moves into more almost Arabic fed rock wonderings as guttural blacked metal vocals kicking in over the top, and later-on it really amps up with rocking metal like blown out chugs as the vocalist blacked vocals goes crazy. Or there’s the final track “Prohodul Domnului” which starts out with layers of barren church bell tolling & grim earthy tribal drum battering, before slipping into some wavering monk vocalising. Then it wonders in with a chiming but slight weathered guitar star spanged banner like single guitar riff, before it’s kicks in with chugging blacked 80’s metallic’s with sparse grunted black metal vocals, sudden speedy black metal attacks and harmonic guitar edger’s.
Really anything can and does happen in any of the 11 tracks on offer here, but it’s all done in a very natural yet slightly mischievous way, yet none of it ever feels contrived or like their trying to throw in as much changes as possible- it all fits and works together wonderfully. With the whole album having a very good blance between playfulness, grimness, melody and different dramatic moods. So if you enjoyed the works of quirky and playful post black bands like Sigh, Ulver(around the themes album) or Arcturus you'll very much enjoy this original, but slightly strange sonic fruit that is Dekadent Aesthetix debut album.
   Roger Batty
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