7 years away from the scene is a long time, but Decrepit Birth return just as strong as they were in 2010 with their new album Axis Mundi. Death metal fans have already been treated to a ton of quality death metal already this year with Suffocation, Dying Fetus and Artificial Brain on the technical end of the spectrum.
Tech death is a very polarizing genre, in that it can either immediately hook the listener or turn them off. Technical prowess, indecipherable vocals, and perhaps a “weedly” or two. I find the latter of those 3 items most obnoxious, and luckily that has never really been Decrepit Birth’s game. They write songs with different tempos, and a clear intent, not so much a “hey ma, look my guitar lessons with Yngwie paid off!”
Axis Mundi is reminiscent of the more tech heavy side of classic Florida death metal. Whether it be Atheist’s Unquestionable Presence or Cynic’s Focus, this would have been a worthy successor to two of the best tech death gems from over 20 years ago. Bill Robinson’s vocal performance is more indicative of Suffocation’s Frank Mullen in many ways, so much so that he has even filled in for him at one time.
The band has added a new drummer and bassist to the fray and as with other bands of the genre, the bass is high in the mix and drums are built to withstand a nuclear holocaust. Axis Mundi is another welcome addition to 2017, a year that Decibel Magazine has already dubbed “the year of death metal.” Robinson and crew plan to pummel you into the ground and succeed in doing so. Decrepit Birth are back with a vengeance, here to lay claim as one of the best technical death metal bands around.
(released July 21, 2017 on Nuclear Blast Records)
