Review Summary: A catchy and worthwhile debut, but nothing groundbreaking here.
Any hard rock enthusiast will himself be the first to admit that the genre is saturated with the aspirations of hopeful bands. Dozens upon dozens of artists, fresh out the garage, crowd the genre as hundreds of gold prospectors would a river. In 1999, Decyfer Down's nominal progenitor, 'Allysonhymn' (are we not all grateful for the change of nomenclature?) was founded by drummer Josh Oliver (brother of former lead singer Caleb Oliver) and guitarist Brandon Mills; a fresh band, with the same ambition as many other fresh rock bands.
Yet, it was not until 2006 that we witnessed the first of Decyfer Down's attempts: its debut, End of Grey.
Skeptics have dismissed the album as a carbon copy of the same over-used style that spans the crowded pool of hard rock songs, yet some, myself included, would care to disagree. Although the core elements of the style feature predominantly in almost all the tracks, Decyfer Down does manage to flaunt a barely-unique edge to some of their songs. Perhaps not enough to define them as anything groundbreaking, but just enough to make it possible to consider the album to be a little different. Not a lot, but a little, and that small margin of definition makes it an enjoyable - yet perhaps not immortal - release.
The album opens up with the hard rocker, "Break Free." The opening track will no doubt allow the listener to discern this is no copy-and-paste grunge album; with fast-paced, tensile licks and a headbang-worthy breakdown in the middle, "Break Free" sets a brightly lit stage for the subsequent tracks.
Following closely is the highlight of the album: "Life Again." This gem rocked several Christian radio stations when the album was still airing, and rightly so: with an energetic guitar solo, commendable drumming, an attention-grabbing introduction and even something akin to a "guitar salute" to grace the outro, "Life Again" stands out as one of Decyfer Down's prouder creations. That is, if you overlook some of the negative aspects of the lyrics - whether it be a minor grammatical slip-up ("take me to that place I was [at] before") or just a touch of cliche in the lyrical theme.
Giving no break to the intensity, another hard rocker appears, "Fight Like This." Arguably the most popular song on the album, "Fight Like This" shares several characteristics with "Break Free", including a heavy breakdown in the middle which will no doubt, as in the case of "Break Free," have some listeners head-banging to their hearts' content. The chorus is catchy, and the guitars hard, yet the songwriting is slightly vague, if not borderline repetitive.
After three tracks of testosterone-packed heaviness, the intensity is dimmed by the power ballad, "Burn Back the Sun." The only song to have a piano accompaniment (superficial though it may be), "Burn Back the Sun" certainly has the potential to become that guilty pleasure every rock fan has. Although the band clearly draws references from Scripture ("Betrayal with a kiss / Open up the door for the prodigal"), this is a track that can be enjoyed secularly, too, and is also one of Decyfer Down's highlights.
"Walking Dead" is no doubt the Frankenstein's monster of the album. How so? The lyrics are surprisingly explicit and graphic, without uttering a single curse or swear word. Perhaps the band was relying on shock value to reinforce the message, but it comes across more as eyebrow-raising than harmonic. Nonetheless, the guitar work and vocals make up for it, with another fantastic guitar solo and a catchy chorus. The message is powerful, but its presentation could have used more work.
Overall, Decyfer Down produced a solid album that helped them gain a foothold on the hard rock scene. Yet, it is simply a foothold, and, although the album is excellent, it is by no means revolutionary, and, at this point, Decyfer Down had yet still to find a sound it could truly call its own.
Final Verdict: 7.5 / 10
Pros:
• Gives the typical rock fan exactly what he wants: powerful, solid rock
• Amazing guitar work, with well-placed licks and memorable riffs
• Unafraid to convey and develop different lyrical themes (from breaking free from bad habits ("Break Free") to overcoming selfishness and haughtiness ("Vanity"))
Cons:
• Some tracks stray dangerously close to "generic"
• Lyrics could have been improved
• Very little overall variation
