This is just what the doctor ordered – solid, no frills, uncompromising old school death metal! Formed in 1990 when death metal was a fledgling, Decayed Existence has been dishing out quality death metal to the masses for over 30 years. Drummer and vocalist Harry Rocco formed the band with a secular focus until he found Christ in the 90s. For a time he stepped away from the band to focus on his faith before returning to wield death metal for the King.

Their discography is rather unique. According to the Metal Archives, they released only demos and EPs for the first 20 years of the band’s existence. Then for a span of about six years from 2010 to 2015, they released their four full-length albums before reverting to EP releases. “The Beginning of Sorrows” is their first release since “Eulogy” back in 2018, potentially signaling a come back. Some of the EP vs demo vs album might be semantics, but one thing is for sure is that they are not afraid to release small batches of music to the fans.

Then it shouldn’t be surprising that “The Beginning of Sorrows” runs for 30 minutes. Although longer than their previous effort, it feels a little like a split album with themselves with five studio tracks followed by three live tracks. Although it is short, that shouldn’t deter you. What is contained on this unique album is some of the most delicious old school death metal showcasing thrash roots.

The studio songs are solid, aggressive, and varied. The riffs with clean and precise execution are what keeps me playing repeat. My favorite riffs are showcased in the opener “Escape the Dead” and “Mind Wars” but every song has great thrash riff goodness. The song structures are rather standard with usually one diversion along the way, shifting from either thrash to sludge to chugging through sudden tempo changes. The band shifts effortlessly in part to the excellent drumming of Harry at the helm. The drums have a great variety of patterns and are mixed well to give intensity in the double bass work without burying the guitars. Vocals are a thrash/death blend that isn’t very guttural, but retains a death metal vibe. The only drawback is the bass is low in the mix where it is very hard to catch the solo bass parts on “Escape The Dead.” If the bass came up, this would take these songs to the next level.

However, there is more than flashy heavy riffs, lightning quick drum fills and death vocals. The guitar solos hit a great balance between melody, technique, and chaos appropriate to the genre. Both “Mind Wars” and “Beginning of Sorrows” make use of harmonic rhythm and lead guitars that provide a good contrast to the furious riffing, elevating the songs above the standard old school crowd.

The live recordings have a slightly different character. There is no crowd noise to tell that it is live. It sounds like a polished take of songs recorded in a rehearsal space, like a demo, but in an underground kind of way. The same musical precision in the preceding songs is present in the live set, which speaks to the caliber of the musicians. There was more low end as well, but the bass doubled much of the guitar so it was hard to tell how much of it was the bass. The sound was on par for a live recording with a slightly muddier mix than the studio tracks. The rhythm section represents well with the vocals a little lower than I’d like and the solo guitar work almost buried.

This is a fun release. I adore the guitar work, the vocals, and the intensely tight drumwork used in their simple, yet effective, recipe for old school death metal. The studio songs retain much of that chaos, brutality, and thrashy bones of yesteryear, but with a crisp and clear production. The lower bass in the mix was the only real miss. With the addition of the live tracks, it feels like a hodge-podge, but that gives it its underground charm. This is old school in all the good ways, and can scratch that death metal itch whether you know you have one or not.

Rating: 9.0/10

Written by Sean Bailey

Tracklist
1 – Escape The Dead
2 – Baptized
3 – Beheading the Colossus
4 – Mind Wars
5 – Beginning of Sorrows
6 – Conqueror of Flesh (Live)
7 – Where Death Dies (Live)
8 – Detonation (Live)

Decayed Existence is:
Ryan Brown – bass
Kyle Balsiger – rhythm guitar
Harry Rocco – drums and vocals
Jeffrey Ke – lead guitar

Guests:
Jason Davis – additional guitars
Richard Nash – additional guitars
Keith Thompson – additional vocals

Release Date: October 11, 2024

Record Label: Rottweiler Records

Discography:
No Warning – EP (1990)
Violent by Design – EP (1998)
Human Debris – EP (2005)
Poetry of the Dead – EP (2005)
Unleash the Plagues – EP (2010)
Depopulation (2010)
Maranatha – EP (2011)
Slave State – EP (2011)
The Rot Box (2012)
Deathless (2014)
The Blessed Graves (2015)
Funeral – EP (2016)
Eulogy – EP (2018)
The Beginning of Sorrows (2024)

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | Bandcamp

Video (audio) for The Colossus

Video for for ‘Escape The Dead’