DECEADED is a young metal band from Poland. The guys have no Bandcamp, their website does not work, and Encyclopaedia Metallum offers me to either listen to DECEADED from Death/Thrash/Heavy Metal band from Arlington, Virginia, or to the mysterious Black Metal act from Chełm and Lublin in Poland, which carries the same name and existed in 1992, released three demo tapes and split up. Their Facebook page contained no helpful information besides some tour dates and live pictures. They're quite the mystery band, aren't they? Luckily, I've managed to put my hands on a secret release file containing DECEADED's selected bibliography. So, let me hook up with those of you who have never heard about this band before. "The Sole Destroyer" becomes the band's first record in 5 years since its establishment. It's promising its listeners "hard and melodic riffs, groovy drum beats, punchy bass lines, and expressive and complex vocals." Genre-wise we're facing a cocktail containing such ingredients as Thrash, Nu, Groove and Alternative Metal, with subtle tones of Metalcore here and there. So, do they deliver what is promised?

Unfortunately, this album contains many flaws typical of the debut works of many young bands out there. I don't know where to begin, so I'll just stick to the point. The main issue here is probably the song writing. It's that point of the band's creative activity when the music they're listening to undeniably affects their writing. Most songs on this record sound like homages to bands such as PANTERA, METALLICA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, and other outlets from affiliated schools of Rock and Metal music. There's very little chance for any personality to flourish when a band is dedicated to sticking to the source material that much. This album is a hodgepodge of randomly mixed and slightly modified riffs you've heard somewhere before, except that they're played with a home studio sound. Paradoxically enough, the riffs on this album, having a highly different set of bands in their genes, sometimes turn out extremely monotonous and bland. If you listen to the beginning of the songs "Chopped Future" and "Wall Of Appearances," you will immediately understand what I'm talking about. There is a feeling that the band does not have enough experience to work with a more extensive melodic base yet, which sometimes may cause the effect of self-copying.

Lyrics on this record are your average "no hope," "no future," "fuck the government," you know it all. Some people may be up for such a thing, which is good for them! My only constructive criticism here would be regarding the lead singer's strong accent which makes a large chunk of text incomprehensible. Perhaps, singing in his native language would help him write more profound and nuanced lyrics and bring more authenticity to the band's sound. Otherwise, the listening experience is constantly being marred by little pronunciation mistakes. The other way to solve it is to take a few lessons, which nowadays is easier to do than ever before.

It's great to see new Groove/Thrash and Nu bands. I lived long enough to see not the most relevant genres return to their former glory more than once in my life. However, DECEADED seems not to be done yet with the genres' past, which prevents them from looking into the future. If you guys are reading this review, don't take it personally. I think your passion is great, but wrapping it into something more original would contribute to the overall experience. Another piece of advice is to think about your own identity. You even describe your live shows as "American like concerts." What does this even mean? The bands you love and strive to become like one day have become significant because they are authentic. Try looking around and find some inspiration in what surrounds you personally today. This might work better than just blindly trying to repeat someone's success by imitating the road he made. Roosevelt said that the only man who makes no mistakes is the man who never does anything. That's why young bands need to perform live shows, shoot videos, and record such albums. It helps young musicians evaluate their creativity, see where they're standing, and what can be improved. I wish DECEADED to shove this review up my ass with their next killer-record, but I currently have no reason to listen to "The Sole Destroyer."