EMBRYONIC CELLS: Decline (THRASH): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Embryonic Cells proposes a music equidistant between black and death metal, guided by the melody. In 2018 it had astonished Music Waves with "Horizon" which even if it was sometimes predictable was of great quality. Two years later, and despite the departure of Pierre Le Pape (e.g. Wormfood, Melted Space, Seth), the band seems free to propose a deep, melodic music with raw power.

The softness of the melodies brings a freshness to the record with magnificent bewitching refrains ('From The Shadow Into The Day', 'You're So Full Of Fear'). The uncluttered guitar of 'To Pay Our Share' brings a softness and a natural ambience. The melodic parts captivate the ear ('Kill The Gods'), the beautiful acoustic guitars reduce the rage ('Devoid Of Promise'. 'Alone I Fall'), or calm the power of the saturated guitars ('From The Shadow Into The Day'). Finally, 'You're So Full Of Fear', THE song of the album, in addition to an unstoppable chorus, is based on a beautiful introduction of six-strings coated with icy synthesizers.

The thick energy that oozes from the tracks is magnified by the melodic layers. Like when the round and intense bass follows the aggressive vocals ('To Pay Our Share' and 'From The Shadow Into The Day' ), when the tracks follow a nearly Doom path ('Kill The Gods') with whispered vocals over a background of scary harmonies or when the track starts with a punchy blast in a dark Emperor-like atmosphere ('Devoid Of Promise'). This energy is sometimes dark with a grandiloquent and theatrical vocal like in Saviour Machine ('Alone I Fall'), but it can also be icy with polar harmonies riffs ('You're So Full Of Fear'). Anger and gentleness oppose each other in a false simplicity ('Kill The Gods' or 'Devoid Of Promise'). A masterful class is born from the alternation between shouted and clear vocals or when the record travels a very heavy metal square path ('First Tear').

Without artifice and without excess, between softness and terror, "Decline" seduces by a great simplicity and a strong melodic side. Embryonic Cells releases a record that hits the bull's eye, because everything is in resonance with nature, with our nature... Even affiliated to the black-death movement, the band builds a human music that transcends styles, appropriates codes to finally get rid of them. - Official website

EMBRYONIC CELLS

DECLINE

AUTRE LABEL

THRASH