Decent News is an industrial metal band from Connecticut , New England County specifically.
Earlier this year they released their album “Monolith” through Machine Man Records and have since played a string of live shows as well as being featured on various compilations which is where I myself first stumbled upon them.
The first track of the 10 track album is the title track itself which brings us straight into cacophonous sounds of what I think might be classical instruments being abused along with a screaming vocal sample before we guitar and pounding drums hit.
Building up to a sequenced synth and screamed vocals with a steady pounding of the snare before breaking into indsutrial metal mania and screechiing sounds in the background with distorted voices going into an arpeggio quckly stopping up and picking back up in metallic soundscapes.
Definetly not a bad start.
Next up is “Black Box” where we`re greeted by a man talking about stealing millitary equipment before electronic and danceable synths come side by side with heavy guitars and suddenly its not as danceable but rather maybe moshpit inducing?
If nothing else I suppose you can start a pit at the dance floor of your local club to this track.
“Substance” welcomes us with ominous synthetic melodies which are then translated to guitar and quickly turning into a soundtrack to violence. I`d probably get in a fist fight to this song.
The guitars are reminiscent of old school thrash metal at times which is absoloutely a good thing.
We move on to the next track “Torture Me“
It starts up with this almost sinister beat and polka like piano melody over 80s sounding synths.
Distoted yet clean , slow paced vocals crooning in what I imagine to be a dark room in a haunted house before the most diabolical guitar melodies appear almost inviting you to a dance with the Devil.
This track is so far my favourite as I just love it`s sinister mood.
The sweet torture leads us to our “Eyewitness“
Beginnng with a vocal sample counting to two repeatadly, some light guitar strumming, a man in woe over loss and then crushing guitars and drums of some sort of thrash metal industrial mixture. The guitar work on this album really sets it apart from other industrial acts utlizing guitar which often only comes as some minimalistic palm muted chugging or a quickly played repetetive riff a la Ministry.
After exterminating all witnesses we tower over them as they bleed and whimper and “I`ll Be Awakened” comes seeping in with seductive synth lines and a four to the floor beat with clean yet aggressive vocals layered neatly on top.
It`s the shortest track thus far clocking in at 2:35 but in that times it gets done what it came to do.
“Krokodil” is up next which I believe may have been my introduction to this band actually.
Some beautiful drum work leads us to melodic synthesis and rythmic guitars before the vocals come in recalling a first meeting with an unknown person or possibly subtstance.
There is a hopeful message within the lyrics so don`t be fooled by the calm yet aggressive delivery.
And then we dive into “The Mud“
A little more on the sludgy side it drags us down and lets us drown in the soil.
“Pyrophile” begins with what I imagine itd sound like if you set electricity on fire and then the kick drum comes along with the synths before breaking out the guitars and dark howling vocals that sound almost desperate in its delivery.
It changes its pace into a near dreamier synthesized soundscape but the edge remains firm and picks us back up in the metal vibes for a moment and drops us back down consistently before pummelling guitars bring us to bell like synth sounds which leads us to the end of the journey where we are offered some “Opiate”
With pianos, an intresting beat and some swirling sounds the singer speaks of running makeup and disease before the first hit of the snare drum comes along and creates an atmospher thats beautiful in its tragedy and yet remains some agressive qualitines through its gutiarwork that comes in and out throughout the song. While its title might make you think of drug addiction lyrically it seems more as if they want to be your drug addiciton. Decent News wants to be your Opiate.
And I aint checking into rehab anytime soon thats for sure.