Decomposed - Hope Finally Died... (1993)^{Release ID: 12739}

Short-lived London doom/death outfit Decomposed & I enjoyed a brief but rewarding dalliance during the early part of the 1990's & one that's seen me maitaining my relationship with their 1993 debut full-length "Hope Finally Died..." over the many years since. They first came to my attention through their 1992 "The Funeral Obsession" E.P., a release which I quite liked & thought exuded a fair bit of potential, but it wasn't until their more accomplished album that I'd find myself to be fully engaged & I've discovered that it's lost very little of its appeal since those first naive experiences.

I don't think there would be too many punters that would claim that Decomposed were doing anything drastically different to the more widely celebrated doom/death outfits that had come before them. They were very clearly created in the wake of the Peaceville Three & rarely deviated from the tried & tested formula set by those early groundbreakers. They do, however, do it extremely well & clearly have a strong understanding of what made those classic bands so great to begin with. The death metal component is certainly pretty significant on "Hope Finally Died..." with bands like Autopsy & Benediction having clearly played a role in their development but never to the extent that I find myself questioning Decomposed's doom/death credentials as the influence of the early Anathema releases is quite obvious at times & that can't be a bad thing where I'm concerned. The strong death growls of bassist Harry Armstrong help to promote an imposing graveyard atmosphere while the use of harmonies within the riffs adds a lot of interest & gives Decomposed some added class. If I'm being overly critical I might suggest that the guitar solos of James Ogawa are a little basic but they aren't a major distraction.

The production job is spot on for this type of music with the down-tuned guitars reverberating nicely & giving the record a lovely dark feel. The tracklisting is very consistent too with no weak tracks included which leaves the listener wondering why Decomposed aren't a little more well-known throughout the extreme metal scene. Perhaps they simply weren't around for long enough? One would have to think that's the case because "Hope Finally Died..." is an excellent example of the subgenre & deserves a lot more attention than it's received over the years.

For fans of Ceremonium, Gorement & Crimson Relic.