'Winds of Creation' (2000) was wicked, but this 'Carnival Is Forever' seems to be death metal at it's worst. Decapitated spews out some music that is not noteworthy or memorable. At first it seemed as though it was going to be alright and after a few spins on the whole album, I'd have to say that this was truly a waste of money. Some albums take time to get into and then again some can never be gotten into.

About the music, at first 'The Knife' seemed promising, but then there's a fade that never stops fading. The riffs on the album aren't at the calibre that they should be at. That is, if you want to call this a death metal album. Sounds as though there are some remnants of metalcore in the offer, the riffs and vocals. The vocals were not burly, just screaming, but in a metalcore fashion.

The lead guitar was not accompanied by rhythm guitars at all. All you can hear during the solos are the bass and drums. A bad idea. Then there are clean guitars which are okay to a moderate extent for a death metal album, but not an overuse of them. The song 'Silence' was just clean guitar completely. Another bad idea on a short album like this. Decapitated seemed to forget that their genre is in death metal.

Talking in regards to the mixing here, well that was a strong suit for the album. The guitars, vocals, bass, and drums were all blended in here in a good fashion. It just sucks though when the album itself is a disappointment. I wonder why a turn for the worse with the band. Maybe they're trying something new or have forgotten about their roots and musicianship. It's just too bad.

If you want quality death metal, again pick up 'Winds of Creation'. Don't waste your time investing in this album because it's a sheer waste. The music on it is despicable and the vocals simply are the pits. None of the songs deserve praise because they're so lousy with the riff-writing and leads. Take my word for it and don't make the mistake of picking this one up because it sure isn't a gem at all.

Rating: 4 (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Death8699
12/10/2011 22:24