In earnest pursuit of one’s agency, sight for what is real, all experiences train the loom-hand toward divine encounter, a state of mind wherein the truth is accessed via assimilation of the ego into the higher self. Liberation is then a manner of rejecting all thought on God and instead taking in the singularity of (ascended) mankind. All paths lead inward as Athens, Greece-based black metal trio DECIPHER return for a sophomore full-length album seeking meaning within volatile self-containment. ‘θελημα’ (Eng: ‘Thelema‘) thusly offers an evolved pass upon deeper nuance with each lengthy stare applied. In more practical terms the band’s linkage between classicist inspiration and modern black metal techniques foams to a head here, lending profundity to circularly drawn hypnotic pieces.

Decipher formed as a trio circa late 2017 intending some manner of spiritual-philosophical connection arisen from the thrashing, semi-melodic form of black/death metal that’d come from their brain trust. The first result was an EP (‘Of Fire and Brimstone‘, 2019) and certainly not the usual type of Hellenic black metal but a modern form which thrashed a bit, hit a few heavier grooves and a few virtuosic tangents along the way. Looking back on that release compared to what they’ve managed on the two LPs since it was clear that theme and curation weren’t as intentional to start and strong evolution of their sound would occur within the recording process for their next album (ca. 2019)… but the process would be delayed by the pandemic soon after; Beyond that point guitarist K.G. would join the impressive Lucifer’s Child, vocalist M.L. exited the band and Dephosphorus bassist Costas Ragiadakos (ex-Abyssus) joined the roster comprising the quartet you’ll find performing on this second album (though they’re a trio again now.)

When the band’s debut full-length album (‘Arcane Paths to Resurrection‘, 2023) released I’d described it as a greater wound, a deeper statement in some regard which’d yearned loudly for spiritual actualization. Elements of post-black metal, French blackened death of the 2010’s, and Polish black metal seemed to inform their work beyond its polished and dramatic stature. The key observation from my short review: “the interconnected nature of the full listen should be most clear, that each piece complements one another in placement and the natural flow of their work becomes all the more dramatic in phrase and movement.” could potentially apply to what we find here today with ‘θελημα’ as their work continues to connection existential yearning with ear-worming, often hypnotically circular arrangements.

Much has changed in the interim but not the core of the Decipher experience where rushed pace and intricately struck guitar driven compositions wrench through poisonous strands of dramatic, sometimes declarative black metal tunneling. With each release we find the band’s guitarists moving away from blackened death more convincingly, escaping stage-ready grooves for oft claustrophobia riddled movements such as “Return to Naught” where straining bends and pained movements lend ‘θελημα’ a sort of middle-era Deathspell Omega inspired trundle to its opening moments. That kinetically ringing bustle is then traded for the wheel-turning sway of standout “The Black March” one of the longer pieces on the album which helps to set the narrative tone for the full listen via tense vocal cadence, swimming guitar techniques and a marching mid-pace. This piece serves to stoke a larger melancholic thread of tragedian awe throughout the full listen, an affectation which binds the experience into sublime continuity.

Similar momentum guides ‘θελημα’ song after song as each ~5-6 minute piece topples along a similar path. Though this brings a sense of sameness to the full listen it aids in creating a more focused and immersive vacuum to fall into, a record which remains engaging for the duration of its ~43 minute stretch. Any fan of Mgła or later Aosoth will appreciate this effect even if Decipher err on the introspective rather than wrathful side of things. This makes it tough to call out any one particular standout here, everything flows together in terms of similarly bent language, though the longer the song the more involved it’ll tend to be. The longest piece on the album, “Hail Death“, ends up being the steadiest atmospheric dirge of the lot, a swinging arc that changes things up slightly in its third cycle. Paired with “Towards Resistance” I’d found the later portion of the full listen the strongest point of pocket to be found on the full listen, albeit somewhat further zoned out in temperament than the opening moments.

From my point of a view a darker, more damningly melancholic record from Decipher is a sign of progress, another adaptive shift meant to transcend both obviate reference and to better serve their general lyrical themes. In this sense ‘θελημα’ is bleakly imaginative, dire yet aiming for some manner of wonderment in its pursuit. They’ve done well to retain some strong continuity here in terms of general voice and style, even the aesthetics of the previous album are echoed to some degree via another brilliant cover illustration from Artem Grigoryev, and for this reason it is easy to view this second album as a sort of next step up their self-imposed ladder. Above all else I’d found the experience easy to delve into on repeat and quickly familiar per the consistent voice which carries through its larger thread. Though the first impression is modest to some degree there is some repeatable depth here. A high recommendation.

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