(c) Yair Abelson Photography
After sustained support tours for Semblant and Fleshgod Apocalypse are in touch Structural back from the studio. The self-released debut in 2018, which took off with a delay and could hardly be accompanied by concerts, finally deserves a successor, and so the quintet from Israel finally dedicates itself again to the complex, technically adept and demanding madness, garnished with deadly melodies. It was necessary to invest several years in the work on „Decrowned“which have audibly paid off.
How “Your Damnation” literally explodes from the starting blocks after a short intro is immediately fascinating. Biting moments of catchiness alternate with furious groove metal, classic death steel and the modern technology crowbar. Infernal growls skilfully fire up the complex-apocalyptic events, the guitar solo is surprisingly epic. “My Grass Is Greener” even goes one step further and flirts with the somewhat more contemporary Djent school in the meantime, without completely committing to it. Structural manages this walking on the supposedly fine line very well, whereby the renewed take-off after a short instrumental caesura wants to be celebrated.
Only once does the quintet exceed the five-minute mark, which is quite surprising for progressive Tech Death standards. “Purge Of Sanity” stands surprisingly wide-legged and shows an oversized middle finger while the band plunges into the next abyss. The melodic climax hints at anthem-like qualities before the finale surprises with muscular heaviness. On the other hand, “Puppeteer” hits the gas pedal at the right moment before the lead guitar once again assumes epic dimensions. With Structural there is a clear tendency towards monumental realms, which also comes through in an extremely sympathetic way in the middle of the otherwise rough “And The Earth Has Rested”.
“Decrowned” isn’t a run-of-the-mill tech record, but it’s also not a purely modern album. Structural find their own way between the chairs, which works surprisingly well, which is not so easy to elude. The Israelis love melodic Death Metal, have a certain soft spot for Djent and Prog gimmicks, always move into epic realms and also take the crowbar with them. It’s the mix that counts, and you can hardly escape it in the best sense of the word.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: 06/23/2023
Available through: ViciSolum Productions
Website: structuralband.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/StructuralBand
Category: Magazin, Reviews