Review Summary: A hidden gem from the Gothenburg scene. Riffs for days!
Decameron is a hidden gem amongst the sea of melodeath bands from the Gothenburg scene. Whilst featuring the signature riffing style of the sound, they mix it up with some black metal influences and a strong focus on odd time signatures, creating an album that is both familiar and different in the best possible way.
Again, what immediately stands out with
My Shadow… is the riffs, and they are very much in the spotlight for a good portion of the album. From the first seconds of
Carpe Nocem, this is evident, and the rest of the eight minutes just confirms this. Not a moment of this track feels uninspired or lacking in intensity or flair. Some riffs hit hard, some are melodic and catchy, and some are just straight up weird and groovy.
Skábma leans on the weirder and blackened side as it begins with this groovy tremolo riff, with the rest of the track jumping between the classic Gothenburg style and the traditional black metal style. The whole album follows this mishmash of style with the riffs at full force for the 62 minute runtime. While it may be too long for an album of this style, the creativity never wanes and the riffs never go stale.
My Shadow… lies on the riff-heavy side of the melodeath genre but still makes time for the odd quality solo. These solos aren’t flashy, nor do they necessarily stand out, but they do perfectly suit the song they find themselves in.
Our Time Has Come is short and brief, yet the melody is downright infectious. My personal favourite solo is found within the endlessly fun title track,
My Shadow, which builds from some solid melodic phrasing to squealing dive bombs that would feel right at home in a Lord Belial song. Even the riff-condensed
Carpe Nocem finds time for a solo that is among the most melodic and epic moments of the album.
Another way this album stands out is with its vocals. Even if you are critical of the vocals here, you cannot say it is from a lack of trying. He is giving it his all at every opportunity, adding even more punch to the sound. From the manic screams that jump from low to high growls often on
Satanized to the more restrained yet still absolutely solid performance across
The Scar of Damnation. The vocals are extremely varied and theatrical in a way that is never overbearing or verges on the edge of sounding utterly ridiculous. On occasion, the album contains some Hetfield-esque cleans, which, whilst a tad rough, do provide a nice breather from the intensity. The absolute highlight of a closer,
Mistress of Sanity, is the track that features the majority of the clean vocals on the album. These cleans are very catchy, but the rest of the track returns to their normal style at its most insane and intense. As the riffs hit hard and the vocals slowly build to becoming monstrous.
Overall,
My Shadow… is filled with amazing performances from all members but most notably from the guitarists and vocalist. Each riff is creative, with multiple different riff styles being used throughout. The solos complement the sound perfectly, and the vocals are a complete beast. And with a 62 minute runtime, nothing here gets old even though on paper it all should. It’s a real shame that this is their only album, as there are so many interesting ideas here. Still, this is an insane collection of melodeath songs that any fans of the Gothenburg sound need to check out.
