Being primitive when it comes to Metal music doesn't necessarily mean being behind or too late or discarded hope. There have been countless of bands breathing the music of their ancestors in genre, infected by both better and lesser forms and directions to compose their own music. DECOMPOSED, a Death Metal band from Sweden that has been on the loop for quite some time joined the old Swedish Death Metal club of the early 90s both in style and sound, as if they were formed back in the day.

Similar to relatively famed bands in their country such as ENTRAILS, these guys have been carrying on the brutality and putridity of early DISMEMBER and ENTOMBED, leaving no shadow of a doubt that they are old school as hell. Coming forward strong, DECOMPOSED unleashed their third album "Wither", via the Mexican Chaos Records, count on it that there will be no change in their burial ground.

Amok riff based all throughout the album, the duo of DECOMPOSED demonstrated filthy meaty guitar riffs alongside schematic drumming, ordinary and mundane, and lest we forget a wicked guttural chanting of the desolated. In their favor, they constantly supplied the old rotting past, in a kind of way that almost felt magical. That same sense of wizardry came apparent without a shred of melody in sight, but a few examples of short lead guitar exploits and aching solos. With the addition of "Void" and "Drenched In Wounds", there was a decent proof that "Wither" has something to show for, yet eventually, push came to shove.

At times DECOMPOSED's songwriting might have itched the peak of my interest, displaying the old ways in their finer moments of fame, for example the opener "By Nothingness Crowned" that made me think of ENTOMBED in an instant, nevertheless, even filthier. The atmosphere of the sound and partially doomy sensation made this a well reserved opening chaotic chug. On the other hand, this is somewhat where the train started slowing down, and song after song, it became overly weary. While focusing solely on the riffs and not much else, DECOMPOSED couldn't escape the fact that they were repeating themselves, and even on promising tracks as "Void" and "Drenched In Wounds" taken into account beforehand. Even in an old school album, there is always that expectation of what will come next, as old school doesn't literally mean banal, as I mentioned earlier. The bashing riffs after a while lost their effect, evaporating in a slow pace into the heart of nothingness, and without a drive in the riffs, the vocals wandered off the radar.

Ultimately, the powerful effect of old Swedish Death Metal would be in vain and its pillar will probably shine for as long as bands will continue playing it tough, simple and brutal. Similar to what I wrote in the beginning, it is either better or lesser. "Wither" has those striking moments where it bashes the skull in class, yet has those weak spots that leave the songwriting as fairly tedious and unimaginative.