Metalcatto
There are two certainties when it comes to Greek Black Metal: the artwork is going to be visually arresting, often steeped in occult symbolism, and the distrust for religious institutions will be off the charts. Decipher has built a reputation as a consistent band within this fertile scene, and if its new album, ΘΕΛΗΜΑ, is anywhere near as accomplished as Arcane Path of Resurrection, then the band would have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Or is it? Cringe and Black Metal have always shared an uneasy, intertwined history, but let’s descend into the darkness and find out.
Fortunately, there is nothing cringe about ΘΕΛΗΜΑ. This is consistent, uncompromising Black Metal that almost feels pure in its intent and execution. You see, most contemporary Black Metal is hybridized with something else—Post-Metal, Atmospheric ambience, Progressive structures, or Folk elements. You will genuinely struggle to find a band that plays only straightforward, traditional Black Metal without boring us to death within a single listen. Decipher stands as a rare and welcome exception. The band keeps its approach simple, direct, and horrifying, without bending the genre into weird shapes.
Listening to ΘΕΛΗΜΑ feels like your most desolate, nostalgic nightmares suddenly gained access to high-quality production values and genuinely competent musicianship. There is not a massive amount of variation across the album’s runtime, but what Decipher does here, it does well. This is an album crafted with evident care for its texture and oppressive atmosphere. Speed and relentless blasting are the band’s primary love language, and I deeply appreciate the complete absence of melodramatic, overwrought interludes. If anything, this sounds Icelandic in its cold, minimalist fury, but edited with enough restraint that we don’t need to book an entire afternoon just to survive a single listen (editing is apparently not a word in the Icelandic vocabulary, or at least their Metal exports have led me to believe so).
Still, the band is undeniably playing it safe here. When placed beside its predecessor, the sonic differences are not vast. Perhaps there is slightly less bass presence and a marginally more brutal guitar tone, but Decipher has clearly made the conscious decision to remain true to its established roots. This steadfast loyalty comes at a cost: the entire experience feels intimately familiar, perhaps overly so, for those of us who breathe this strange, misanthropic music on a daily basis. You will find yourself firmly within your comfort zone. Not much here is genuinely unfamiliar or challenging to the seasoned ear.
It is a strange and somewhat disorienting moment when I realize that ΘΕΛΗΜΑ is, at its core, just a savagely effective Black Metal album without many overt pretensions—and that somehow, this straightforwardness has become an anomaly within the current landscape of the niche. Everywhere, bands are reaching for increasingly convoluted and ambitious endeavors, often at the expense of raw, immediate impact. It has become genuinely difficult to shine using simpler, more traditional tools. This is not a problem that Decipher appears to struggle with. The band has clearly cracked the code when it comes to crafting direct, unfussy, yet consistently engaging and entertaining Black Metal that honors the genre’s spirit.
Label: Transcending Obscurity
Release date: March 20, 2026
Website: https://www.facebook.com/decipherbandgr
Country: Greece
Score: 3.5/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 