Description

Official Polish tape. Clear cassette with grey texture. Catalogue number: MASS 036-4

Decoryah play a laid-back avant-garde style of metal, with perhaps some post-rock and ambient characteristics. The tempos are on the slow side; clean male vocals are featured, along with the occasional use of female backing vocals, and lengthy instrumental sections as well; and classical instruments play a predominant role in many passages. The overall vibe is comfortable and relaxed, and a bit trippy. Almost every song seems to feature lilting time signatures, with the vocals and keyboards drifting farther and farther behind the beat, and the occasional edgy dissonance, giving the performance a psychedelic quality. An example of another band with a somewhat similar sound might be Ras Algethi, although Decoryah’s music is perhaps a bit more dynamic and varied. The song titles are kind of whimsical, with the title of this review being one of my favorite examples. But the titles seem pretty appropriate for the music; the compositions themselves are adventurous, and the style unconventional. The arrangement of instruments changes constantly during songs. At different times, piano, strings, and flute, as well as distorted guitar, take turns carry the songs’ focal melodies. Extended guitar solos are used very effectively in the bridge sections. The leads are catchy and memorable, but also well integrated compositionally; the pace is measured and the melodies are sometimes tranquil, sometimes tinged with just a bit of discordance. There is a bit of an unnatural inflection to the lead vocals, and their tendency to drift off time might seem a bit reckless upon first listen, but the more I’ve listened to this album, I’m convinced the opposite is true; there is careful attention devoted in the timing of the vocals, and it’s a fundamental component of the overall sound. The female backing vocals’ pitch control sounds a bit off at times, which detracts a bit from the fine performance of the other instruments, but fortunately the harm is minor and sufficiently infrequent that it doesn’t compromise the album’s artistry. Decoryah released several similarly styled albums, and there is good material to be found on their other releases as well, but I think Fall-Dark Waters is their best and most consistent effort. The songwriting is fantastic, and they have managed to combine some unusual elements to create extraordinary soundscapes.

Track listing:
1. Fall-Dark Waters
2. Submerged Seconds
3. Envisioned (Waters)
4. Some Drops Beyond The Essence
5. Endless Is The Stream
6. Gloria Absurdiah
7. Wintry Fluids (Portal)
8. She Came to Me In The Form Of Water
9. She Wept In The Woods