Decapitated

Guitarist Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka returns with a new line-up for what many thought would never come to fruition: Decapitated's fifth studio album, Carnival is Forever, the follow-up to the Polish tech-death heroes' 2006 album, Organic Hallucinosis. While extremely well executed, a black cloud lies over the new record. Carnival is Forever is the band's first release following their four-year hiatus, which was due to the tragic bus accident that claimed the life of Vogg's brother/co-founding member/influential drummer Witold "Vitek" Kieltyka. While there are elements of the band's trademark style, there are also some subtle differences, obviously in the performance aspect. Although no one can replace Vitek's genius, the extremely talented new members, including drummer Kerim "Krimh" Lechner, add their twist to the material. Even Vogg has switched up his guitar work a bit, as it's considerably darker and heavier, setting the tone right from the start with opener and standout track "The Knife." The title track, "A View From A Hole" and "Pest" offer more of an ominous, progressive vibe, which is a tad awkward, at times, yet at others it's the perfect counterpart to the more technical death blasts. Instrumental track "Silence" is a fitting album closer, with a dark, ambient wall of weirdness and incomprehensible emotion.