Decryptor fit most snugly into the death metal genre, however, their sound traverses varied territory within the modern metal landscape. Imminent Ruin boasts loads of big, beefy riffage, melodic licks, chunky grooves, and an array of mid to faster-paced rhythms, gruff vocals and nods to the Gothenburg melodeath scene of yesteryear. Aside from the unnecessary introduction piece, Decryptor keep things fairly direct across a tight runtime. The formula is no-frills though does not lack for bursts of vibrant energy and solid musicianship, with a particular emphasis on dueling melodic leads and straightforward, headbangable riffs and grooves, juggling death, melodeath and death-doom influences. Although heavier moments crop up and the whole attack has a certain hefty charm, Imminent Ruin is accessible and largely undemanding on the ears.
Despite the modern metal polish, the groovy, streamlined material avoids the easy route to mainstream metal popularity. You won’t find overdone keys, synths or bright, poppy clean vocal melodies or sugary choruses. Decryptor employ a moody, Scandanavian-tinged approach to proceedings. The darker palette, expressive guitar harmonies and gritty basslines add a heartfelt, emotive edge to otherwise fairly stock standard songwriting approaches. Although Decryptor name the esteemed likes of Slayer, Possessed and Death as influences, the hallmarks of these legendary bands are not really reflected in the music of Imminent Ruin. Musically there are shades of older In Flames and Edge of Sanity, while the doomy, groove-laced passages occasionally recall the underrated Décembre Noir. This sounds juicy on paper; however, the end result is not quite as appealing as those influences may suggest. Though not without its merits and appealing moments, Decryptor struggle to establish a clear identity and songwriting quality is mixed. On the upside, “Downfall” features a dirty, rumbling heft, powering along with solid riffs, enticing leads and steamrolling grooves. “Absence” features more of Decryptor’s twisting guitar melodies, bolstered by an interesting arrangement and genuine hooks, that can otherwise be fleeting or nondescript throughout the album.
The catchier swagger of “Blight” marks another example of the band’s more appealing traits. Elsewhere the writing is decidedly patchier, despite smatterings of cool moments and a tidy finish on closer “Xibalba.” Decryptor have clearly put their blood, sweat and tears into creating a confident-sounding debut album. Overall performances are solid, with potential yet to be fully formed and fulfilled. In particular, tasty guitar work litters across the album. Guitar duo Dean Fast (also on vocals) and Justin Tjart possess impressive chops and if they can refine their formula and tighten up their songwriting the future appears promising. Unfortunately, song-by-song quality and defining character is fleeting, leaving behind a collection of tunes with enticing moments that never quite develops into a consistent, gripping listen. The gloomier, doom-flecked component of Decryptor’s sound fits best, allowing the melancholy-tinged leads to shine and chunky grooves to bustle and rumble away. It will be interesting to see if they can tap into and develop this aspect of their sound on future offerings.
Decryptor’s Imminent Ruin is a solidly pieced together debut that exhibits potential, but sadly fails to generate much excitement or the kind of enticing writing to keep the listener firmly engaged and coming back for more. Perhaps with further honing of their craft and distinguishing a more unique identity, Decryptor may have the foundational tools and talents to realize their budding potential next time around. Until then, Imminent Ruin is a mixed bag, a promising though largely unremarkable offering, but with enough flash to make them worth keeping an eye on.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps
Label: Self-Release
Websites: decryptorvic.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/DecryptorMetal
Releases Worldwide: February 29th, 2024
