Strynn    

Decadence

Mortis Humanae 2013

France's traditional black metal cult, Strynn, have unleashed their debut album and its mesmerizing riffs spread like a plague across your subconsciousness.  Or attempt to.  Midtempo drums and darkly melodic textures are draped across the framework of the album's opener, Awakening.  A steady, repetitive diet of hypnotic riffs populate the song's center but the drum beat becomes a bit tiresome.  Burial employs a similar beat, though sped up slightly to match the faster, more insistent riffs and deathly shrieks.  I am reminded a bit of Kampfar and then the song erupts into intense gusts of freezing black metal.  Uncreation however makes a more sinister impact on my ears as the riffs are creative and strike a delicate balance between atmospheric passages and memorably diabolical movements.  Emptiness streams out like a fiery meteorite, exploding with vengeance during its initial section.  It then settles into midtempo melodies and grim vocals that recall shades of early Samael.  Frosty strumming on the guitar and frigid melodic riffing set the stage for a stormier, brooding song with Burnt.  The speedy melodies return and then are folded into some midtempo riffs that bring to mind synthless Gehenna from their First Spell era.  As the album continues forward the songs begin to blend into one another.  The main weakness on Decadence is the drumming.  It somehow fades into the background and doesn't enhance the band at all.  Decadence sees Strynn feeling themselves out but not really setting themselves apart from the scene.  The album, though solid fails to leave me with a lasting impression.