From Bandcamp, “DECLINE OF THE I” is a combination of multifaceted, post-black metal and exploratory lyrics that dwell on topics of existential philosophy. Originating from France (Paris, Île-de-France), the band was created by AK, who descends from a rich portfolio of past and on-going acts. "Wilhelm" builds on the foundation of "Johannes" and adds a more framed dimension; a rigor, a backbone. "Ethics demand an internal code. Loops, repetitions, the relentless nature of a law, all run through its five tracks, spanning over 45 minutes," comments AK. "It blends abrasive, avant-garde black metal with numerous samples, as well as elements of electro and industrial music. A constrained dive into the angst of ethics."

The album has five songs, and “L’ Alliance Des Rats” is first. Very heavy and dissonant tones come out of the gate, like a storm of chaos. The vocals are tortures, and the song isn’t without melody, although it is somber, and even bitter at times. The sonority fluxgates from a towering darkness to moments of depression. “Entwined Conondrum” focuses more on the hopeless feeling that many of us experience with life in general. In keeping with the themes on the album, conventional wisdom would suggest that most of try to be ethical, but the costs can be quite difficult, so taking the other road is just easier. There are electronic elements present here, but the weight of the song builds on your soul, like the ethical decision you are faced with, and the one sure way to relieve the tension is just to give in the take the easy road.

“Diapsalmata” begins with melancholy and depressive tones, and some female spoken word, but like a rogue wave, a crushing madness comes seemingly out of nowhere. Painful, tortured vocals follow, and every breath seems to tear you from the inside out, and the piano notes sound deader than your soul. “Eros N” opens with vocal screams, as salt is poured into an already open and painful soul. The band flirts with the ceiling of how much pain one person can take, and they push it higher and higher. The lengthy “The Renouncer” closes the album, and it’s 14-minute opus. Listening to the song is like the cycle of life for me. We are start out helpless, as infants grow to toddlers, children, teenagers, adults, and finally elderly. The rather cruel trick of aging begins us at the most vulnerable and ends the same. How are we supposed to have dignity in the end?

This album was a crushing listening experience for me. They paint a black landscape of nothingness, and existential dread, combined with vibrant red colors of the entirely of the weight of painful decisions thrust on your shoulders at the same time. Do not look for hope buried under the rubble, for there is none.