Decline of the I - Johannes (2021)

Creating the perfect soundtrack to induce nightmares, today we have Decline of the I with their latest effort “Johannes”. Featuring a new lyrical concept and band members, this release builds on the band’s unique and demoralizing brand of highly atmospheric Black Metal and elevates the listener’s experience to a whole new level. With over 50 minutes of cavernous and bone chilling music, this release is highly recommended for fans of bands like The Ruins of Beverast and Blut Aus Nord.

Opening with the hellish “A Selfish Star”, the listener is treated to very crafty atmospherics featuring spoken word ramblings and haunting clean singing. This atmosphere is further exacerbated by the layered aggressive guitars and harsh screams, and nicely shocked into tranquility by some dreamy slower tempo passages. The cinematic experience bleeds into the punishing “The Veil of Splendid Lies” and its superbly crafted drum patterns alongside dramatic guitar leads and haunting choral arrangements.

Calming the waters, “Act of Faith” presents a shift into more lush and crafty dissonance with more vocal arrangements on top of the band’s signature piercing guitar onslaughts. This cinematic madness comes to full fruition on the demoralizing “Tethering the Transient” and its ravaging intensity. We are haunted by the creepy choral arrangements as they are very well mixed into the band’s punishing style, creating crushing songs like the brutal “Dieu Vide”.

As a whole, “Johannes” is one hell of a release filled with eerie atmospherics, punishing riffs, and hellish vocal arrangements. Decline of the I are masters of the occult and creepy, creating very unsettling songs that are both furious and introspective. If you want to feel aggressive atmospheric abuse unlike none other, be sure to get a copy of this intricate release.

Label: Agonia Records

Release: March 26th, 2021

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Country: France