The Decayed – Corrupted Politicians Will Never Set You Free LP

It’s been a while since I posted some reviews about heavier stuff, so this particular vinyl record came in handy for this occasion. This vinyl record will be a treat for those fans of extreme underground music who equally love punk rock, hardcore punk, and thrash metal music. However, this band avoids typical crossover thrash cliches, popular among both hardcore and metal scenes nowadays. The Decayed are coming from Chicago, USA, and Corrupt Politicians Will Never Set You Free is their debut full-length album. Previously, the group released the self-titled extended play with three compositions that gave the first taste of their sound. I have to admit I fell in love with the visual appearance mainly because I am so much into this type of music for years, and it’s always good to see some bands who’re keeping the banner of political punk rock high. The cover artwork consists of a monochrome drawing of police guarded politician (depicted as a skeleton in a suit) giving the speech while being surrounded by dystopian, post-apocalyptic imagery of a not-so-distant future.

Corrupted Politicians Will Never Set You Free carries ten energetic hardcore punk songs, which burst with roaring vocals, powerful shreds, catchy riffs, and a dynamic rhythm section. The band fully stacked this material with impressive ideas that sound fresh and unique, but the most important thing about The Decayed is that they do not sound like a typical crossover thrash band. These guys somehow managed to blend hardcore punk, d-beat, street punk, and thrash metal altogether in a colossal slab of well-articulated noise. The Decayed also implemented more than enough melodic themes, harmonies, arpeggiated chords progressions, octaves, and other sonic delicacies that are uncommon for the beforementioned genres. Each riff, shred, and chord progression is cleverly assembled, so this material sounds entertaining from scratch to finish. You will vividly hear each low-end note delivered by the warm-sounding bass guitar. Besides acting as massive support to the generously distorted guitars, these basslines are a significant part of the profoundly dynamic rhythm section. The constant fast-paced rhythms, accentuations, breaks, constant changes in tempo, and other drumming acrobatics are going beyond comprehension throughout the entire album.

The Decayed undoubtfully invested heart and soul in this material, and that’s hearable in each composition. The band nails both sonically, lyrically, and visually, so you’ll love this full-length no matter which underground music genre you prefer. Corrupted Politicians Will Never Set You Free comes on black/white splatter vinyl, but you can also enjoy this album digitally on streaming services. Head over to The Decayed Bandcamp page for more detailed info about ordering.