Decapitated - The First Damned LP

DECAPITATED (Poland) - The First Damned (2021 Nuclear Blast Re-issue on Red w/Black Splatter gatefold vinyl - limited to 1,500 copies).  A collection of early demo material intending to offer a snapshot into the origins of one of Death Metal’s most revered names.

Compiled of 1997’s "Cemeteral Gardens" and 1998’s "The Eye of Horus," the material the band recorded prior to signing to Earache Records to unleash their debut opus "Winds of Creation," the biggest takeaway here is just how ridiculously the talent is within the band’s ranks at the time. Winds Of Creation is often celebrated for how insanely technical the music on offer is, but with The First Damned's material dating a handful of years prior to that debut record, it suddenly becomes all the more impressive.

Dearly departed drummer Vitek was only 12 years old when these songs were put to tape and the technical precision he exhibits across the collection is simply mind-blowing, with The Eye Of Horus‘ cut of Nine Steps being just one of many highlights, whilst guitarist Vogg (aged just 15) consistently impresses with flurry after flurry of highly technical riffs and solos, a trademark of the band’s style to this very day.

DECAPITATED are a very different beast to who they were 25 years ago but The First Damned shows just how pivotal that first chapter was to catapulting the Poles to the position they are in today. Relentless, brutal and with a ridiculous amount of talent displayed across the two demos, if anything, Vogg presents this release as a loving tribute to a band who had their entire future ahead of them and dared to dream big. And for that, The First Damned is nothing short of being an essential listen for anyone who appreciates extreme music.  **originally published on distortedsoundmag.com**  Nuclear Blast ‎– 5929-1