Ten year veterans of the American Death Metal circuit, ACEPHALIX are a San Francisco based quartet that have previously released three albums over the years, titled "Interminable Night", "Deathless Master", and "Aporia"; now the band has a home with the label 20 Buck Spin Records, and they are musically slashing at you now with their current offering "Decreation". I could tell immediately when I saw the album cover and read their band name, that this was going to be a conglomerate of songs that was going to haemorrhage darkness, and have about as much subtlety as nuclear strike; I was completely right.

"Upon this Altra" sledgehammers from your speakers with fat riff, and the other instruments quickly leap into the onslaught; once the very deep and growling vocals join the fray, the full metal flex of ACEPHALIX gave me a mental picture, of all the most graphic scenes from early nineties B grade horror films. The sound on this album at times reminds me of CARCASS and MORBID ANGEL, generous dosages of heavy riffs, double bass; angry rhythms and a voice that could summon demons. Now, when I write reviews; I usually walk through a good portion of the album, and outline the individual particulars songs, the moods they create and an overall landscape of what the band created; but that is not really necessary here. Before anyone jumps to a conclusion, I am not about to trash talk this album, there is some really top tier death metal captured here; and the production on it is better than the vast majority of other bands that I have heard recently, that have been going for an equally brutal atmosphere. It's just the vocal melodies on here are too 'structured' to what the music is doing, and are relatively monotone the whole way through.

The voice is great and is exactly what the band needs, but more catchy and exciting vocal patterns and phrasing would have made this album so much better. It's the second last track "Egoic Skin" is were what I just outlined is much closer to being achieved, and the guitar solo would have made Kerry King blush! More of that on the next album guys. I think that die-hard fans of old school death metal are gonna love this, in fact I'm sure they will; all in all... yeah not bad. Had this been release in 1991, it would have been much better received.