Decapitated’s New Song “Blood Mantra:” Sort of Nu-Metal-y?

There’s a groundswell of backlash against the new Decapitated album amongst those who have heard it in full. The complaint I’ve heard most often is that Decapitated are taking a step backwards, and that the new album is verging on nu-metal.

I don’t necessarily agree with that assessment, although I understand why people would say that. The main verse riff in “Blood Mantra,” the album’s title track — which came out yesterday and can be streamed below — IS very nu-metal sounding. But to me it’s a million times more nuanced than anything Korn ever wrote, it’s still got a death metal flavor, and it sounds unmistakably like Decapitated. Also, that guitar solo! Smokin’. And that fast thrashy section that closes out the song. Still, if your favorite Decapitated album is Winds of Creation, or even Organic Hallucinosis, I can understand why you wouldn’t be too pleased with what you’ve heard from Blood Mantra so far; it’s definitely going in a different direction.

Check out the track and see what you think, then share your Ph.D. theses with the world below. Also listen to “Blasphemous Psalm to the Dummy God Creation” if you haven’t yet. Blood Mantra comes out on September 30th and can be pre-ordered here.