Metalcatto
It used to be that if you learned English and maybe Swedish or German, you’d be able to understand around 90% of extreme Metal lyrics. However, that’s not true anymore. Now you need French too—because beyond France, Quebec is basically its own Metal country (this isn’t a political statement, don’t kill me!). Décryptal‘s Simulacre is bringing some old school Death Metal that promises to be disgusting enough that we’d actually remember it from the pile. Or at least that’s what the promo claimed. Let’s go!
No surprises here: Simulacre is a wall of brutal riffs that prolongs our agony with zero remorse. Yes, it’s rancid à la Tomb Mold or Outer Heaven, but despite its traditional style, these guys’ songwriting brings some pleasant twists. For once, the tracks feel like they’re made from expanding riffs—starting from a simple tremolo and developing into nastier ideas. Also, the whole album is in French, and, surprisingly, you can actually understand the words. Nothing romantic is being said, though, so maybe I’ll need a rom-com to recover. It’s hard to find good enunciation in Death Metal, but it does happen sometimes.
As some of you know, this not-so-humble cat has synesthesia, and Simulacre looks like a gray vortex ready to devour all your hopes and dreams. The idea isn’t new, but the album keeps some melodic touches and playful bass flourishes that help avoid the horrid monotony that old school Death Metal often falls into. At this point in my life, this style can feel like eating porridge without sugar—or as British people call it, an awesome lunch. But let’s get to the part that makes me want to hide my identity from most of you: the shortcomings.
It was clear from the start: while this is good meat-and-potatoes Death Metal, it doesn’t stray far enough from the winning formula. Yes, Décryptal has a few tricks under its machine-gun belts, but it still clings tightly to a school of thought that I sometimes wonder how much more it can truly offer us. It’s another display of how Quebec’s scene continues to produce quality in every corner of the Metalsphere right now. On a more specific note, I really would’ve liked more of the hysteria and melodic chaos that the album delivers in its second half.
Anyway, it hasn’t been a year flooded with this kind of cavernous sound (maybe because I’ve been dodging those promos like Ali dodged punches), so if there’s one album in this style worth your time, it’s this one. It’ll chew you up a bit, but you’re the kind of masochist who enjoys getting absolutely wrecked by your favorite music—or am I wrong? Come on, go support these guys while pretending the pain isn’t strangely enjoyable!
Label: Me Saco un Ojo Records/Rotted Life
Release date: July 11, 2025
Website: https://mesacounojo.bandcamp.com/album/simulacre
Country: Canada
Score: 3.5/5.0 because of that tasty bass!
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