Decline of the I – Johannes

Releasedate: 26-03-2021
Label: Agonia Records

Intro

DECLINE OF THE I is a combination of multifaceted, post-black metal and exploratory lyrics, that dwell on topics of existential philosophy. The band was formed in France and created by AK, who descends from a rich portfolio of past and ongoing acts (including Vorkreist, Merrimack, The Order Of Apollyon, Neo Inferno 262, Malhkebre and Diapsiquir), with DECLINE OF THE I being his most personal endeavor yet. While the works of the French surgeon and neurologist Henri Laborit inspired the band’s first three albums, this new release – “Johannes” – pursues a different approach based on the output of Danish philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard, and opens a new trilogy for the band. 

Review

“Johannes” is dark and heavy. It is intense but not overwhelming. The band knows how to captivate the listener right away with that dynamic sound and ever-changing pace. The core of the album, that post-black metal sound, kicks in right away and will especially be a delight for the fans of this genre. Since the album is based on the output of Søren Kierkegaard, it also makes you think and want to even do a bit more research and dig deep into the themes and lyrics. So within this foundation and the post-BM sound, there are extra layers, which makes it even more impressive!

A highlight of “Johannes” is the little breakdowns or twists. The album is chaos from beginning to the end but even within that dark fog, there is a diversity and another dimension. This is, for instance, the slow passages or the choir in “A Selfish Star” or… well the last song, “Dieu Vide”, which I consider as THE masterpiece of the album with its progressive approach and melodic transitions. In this sense, this is not a monotonous release with ‘expected’ elements but all the surprises make the record much more interesting.

“Johannes” is definitely in the best of 2021 list for me… I recommend this release to the lovers of this genre but also to the philosopher metalheads out there… Get it and enjoy the chaos!

Line up:

• AK – guitars, keyboards, vocals
• SI – vocals
• AD – bass
• SK – drums

Tracklist:

1. A Selfish Star
2. The Veil of Splendid Lies
3. Act of Faith
4. Tethering the Transient
5. Dieu Vide

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