Decapitated – The First Damned Review

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It really is a band to respect we have here today. Let’s just say that Decapitated a pioneer Death Metal band. It’s funny how it’s possible to hear all this through their music. Each note sounds tight and strong enough to make the fan know who’s talking. “The First Damned” is a pretty strong album with lots of personality as all compilations of bands with many years of career. Well, “The First Damned” isn’t exactly a compilation. I’ll elaborate. It gathers two demo tapes of the band: 1997’s “Cemeteral Gardens” and 1998’s “The Eye of Horus” which are the first demos of the band and were recorded when they were just teenagers – drummer Witold “Vitek” Kiełtyka was 14 years old when he recorded those demos!

Sometimes it happens to have to listen to the album for more than two times. In this very particular case of “The First Damned” I had to listen to it four times. There are times that words don’t get that easy and the name of the band rang a bell. I mean, so sorry, but this is the first time I listen to the band. Even though I know they are pioneers of the 1990s Death Metal scene which is responsable for changing and shaping Death Metal. Here it’s possible to feel the power of the youth and the winds of geniality that blew around them when recording them. I don’t my dear fan but it’s almost impossible to believe that these demos were recorded by teenagers. It’s incredible what those kids did here. It’s not only a very well recorded and performed album but an album that still sounds fresh today. Every time I look at drummer’s Witold “Vitek” Kiełtyka I close my eyes. I can’t believe it. What about the sharp edged guitar riffing and flamboyant guitar solos wihtout being show off? What can one say about them? No words, simply no words. One of the reasons I had to listen to “The First Damned” four times…

It’s really difficult to pick only one track and say it’s the best or even highlight just one or two albeit I could try, however I guess it wouldn’t be fair to Decapitated. What I can say is that “Cemeteral Gardens” and “The Eye of Horus” follow the same logical path. At first I wasn’t able to notice that they were different demos, I thought it was the same logical sequence of tracks. For us metallers that means a lot. It means that the band has strong personality and character. Well, after twenty-five years we all know that this the pure truth.

Decapitated “The First Damned” will be released on June 04th via Nuclear Blast Records.

P.S. – Can anyone explain me why the chronology of the demo tapes is inverted?

Track Listing:

  1. Intro (-The Eye Of Horus – Demo, 1998)
  2. The Eye of Horus (-The Eye Of Horus – Demo, 1998)
  3. Blessed (-The Eye Of Horus – Demo, 1998)
  4. The First Damned (-The Eye Of Horus – Demo, 1998)
  5. Nine Steps (-The Eye Of Horus – Demo, 1998)
  6. Danse Macabre (-The Eye Of Horus – Demo, 1998)
  7. Mandatory Suicide ( -The Eye of Horus – Demo, 1998)
  8. Intro (-Cemeteral Gardens – Demo, 1997)
  9. Destiny (-Cemeteral Gardens – Demo, 1997)
  10. Way to Salvation (-Cemeteral Gardens – Demo, 1997)
  11. Ereshkigal (-Cemeteral Gardens – Demo, 1997)
  12. Cemeteral Gardens (-Cemeteral Gardens – Demo, 1997)

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