DECAPITATED — Cancer Culture (review)

DECAPITATED — Cancer Culture album cover

Album · 2022 · Technical Death Metal

4/5 · 2025-05-24
UMUR

"Cancer Culture" is the eighth full-length studio album by Polish metal act Decapitated. The album was released through Nuclear Blast in May 2022. It´s the successor to "Anticult" from 2017 and there´s been a few lineup changes since the predecessor as drummer Młody has been replaced by British drummer James Stewart. Bassist Hubert Więcek has also jumped ship. The latter has not been replaced here, so the bass is recorded by session bassist Paweł Pasek. The usual suspects are lead vocalist Rafał Piotrowski (credited as Rasta) and guitarist and band founder Vogg. Since the release and subsequent tour supporting "Anticult", Vogg has landed the high profile job as lead guitarist in Machine Head (which he has now left again), and paired with the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, it´s not so strange that it´s taken Vogg and co. 5 years to write, record, and release "Cancer Culture".

The time has been spend wisely though, as "Cancer Culture" is an effective, powerful, and well composed release filled to the brim with fast technical drumming, ultra sharp and intense guitar riffs, intriguing lead work, and a raw shouting/semi-growling frontman. Stylistically Decapitated are a bit hard to nail down, but a hybrid of artists like Gojira, Meshuggah, Fear Factory, and Machine Head isn´t all wrong. There is a sharp and brutal groove to their music and a combination of groove laden post-thrash and technical death metal probably isn´t an all wrong description of their music. Although they stared out playing a technical death metal style, which was a little more old school oriented, they´ve played a similar style to the one found on "Cancer Culture" on the last couple of preceding releases. So it´s nothing new or suprising, but Decapitated have really brought their A-game to "Cancer Culture", which is their strongest and most memorable album in a while.

There are some truly jaw-dropping moments found on the album, and especially some of the fast rhythmic riffing by Vogg is extraordinaire. He is incredibly skilled and fully deserves the riff meister tag. The other band members deliver high level musical performances too though, and even if this is not your poison, it´s still an album which deserves your attention just for the high level musicianship. Piotrowski is probably the least standout member of the band. He delivers shouting/screaming semi-growling vocals, which are alright, but could just as well have been added to most other contemporary releases in this genre, and you wouldn´t know that it was him singing. In other words...he gets the job done, but neither his voice nor his delivery are anything out of the ordinary for the genre. Jinjer vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk guests on "Hello Death", which brings some variation to the vocal part of the album and Vogg´s new (now former) employer Robb Flynn also contributes guest vocals on "Iconoclast".

The sound production is clear, powerful, and detailed, suiting the material perfectly and upon conclusion "Cancer Culture" is through and through a high quality release from Decapitated. If things go as they usually do "Cancer Culture" will be another moderate success for Decapitated, who are a well respected name on the scene, but aren´t a commercially successful act beyond being a successful underground artist, and that would be a real shame, as this album has a bit more potential than usual for the band. My ears don´t agree with every choice the band have made or with every aspect of the band´s sound (the vocal part of the music could for example have been more unique), but overall this is a great release and a 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is deserved.