Metalcatto
When the band is named Hebephrenique and the album is titled Decathexis, you know they aren’t here to play My Little Pony. If anything, you should expect something that would ruin your breakfast harder than massive layoffs at your workplace. It’s been a while since we reviewed some sick Black/Death Metal around here. 2025 will be hard to top in that department, but that doesn’t mean we should disregard the underground so quickly.
Decathexis—is that Basque or what?—is full of challenging and disturbing ideas. The album doesn’t shy away from making its own rendition of an Imperial Triumphant record, even if it comes in a much more compact and cheaper package. Despite expecting a lot of Blackened Death riffs, what we end up with is something that touches more on Avant-Garde territory. It’s less New York City chaos and more unholy ritual in a cursed forest. The dissonance is deliberate, the rhythms unpredictable, and the whole affair feels like being lost somewhere you shouldn’t have wandered into.
It’s common that the songwriting in these albums gets a lot of praise, and I’m not denying that Decathexis has engaging madness running through its veins. Especially with those decadent, tormented vocals that sound like they’re being dragged from the bottom of a well. Yet what stood out to me the most is the sensitive and emotional piano and keyboard work woven throughout. It’s so different, so unafraid of showing something beyond just fury. It truly gives another dimension to this onslaught, adding moments of genuine melancholy between the chaos. The closing track is just phenomenal work. There’s no other way to put it.
Is bro passing a kidney stone?
Now, I wish I could say the rest of the album sounds exactly the same way, but no. It’s a crazy mix of sad and savage here and there. That would be totally perfect, but the production just doesn’t click with me. It feels thin. The bass and the drums are rather buried in the mix, struggling to be heard beneath the guitars and vocals. Maybe these guys want that vintage, lo-fi vibe, but when you have so much potential and such interesting ideas, I want to hear you loud and clear. Capiche? The music deserves better than to be muffled.
I wouldn’t sleep on Hebephrenique. The band has what it takes to blow it out of the water. It has its own voice, it takes real risks, and though I would have liked a few more production details polished here and there, I’m convinced that if your thing is getting violently shaken out of bed as if you were in Full Metal Jacket, then there’s nothing to wait for. Jump right in and suffer like the rest of us peasants. Just don’t expect crystal-clear audio while you’re at it.
Label: Apocalyptic Witchcraft
Release date: April 17th, 2026
Website: https://www.facebook.com/hebephrenique
Country: Australia
Score: 3.5/5.0
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