Spiritual Decay – “Closer to the Grave” (2006)

Label : Dark Horizon Records

Review by Tony Cannella

Spiritual Decay are a Death Metal band out of Indiana. Their line-up consists of: Shawna (lead vocals & bass), Insane Creator (lead guitar), Thoth (lead guitar) and Rob (drums). They play what can be described as old school Death Metal, while still maintaining their own unique identity. Some of their influences as listed on their MySpace profile include: Autopsy, Death, Deicide and Morbid Angel, so that should give you an idea of where this band is coming from musically. The history of Spiritual Decay begins in 2003 and “Closer to the Grave” was actually released in 2006. The CD begins with “Any Minute”. A solid opener that really sets the tone and draws the listener in with its frenzied brutality. Next, is “Cemetery Suicide” a song that really keeps things going at full throttle. Next is “Dead Trained Soldier” another strong track and one of the main highlights for me. Next is “Mass Destruction”.This song is just plain heavy and crushes. The vocals of Shawna are unreal and otherworldly. It is a mystery to me, how she sings like that, but she is a force. Next is “Prisoner Of War”. This song speeds things up a bit and it is another one my favorites. Other highlights include: “Black Heart”, “Fist In Your Face” and “Dig Your Own Grave”. The final two songs “Tormented” and “Madness”clock in at over 8-minutes and 7-minutes respectively and are a perfect way to wrap things up as the band display their strong musicianship. These songs have a truly epic feel and show off the talent of Spiritual Decay. “Tormented”is grinding and heavy, while “Madness” goes from slow and grindingly heavy to fast and back again in a moment’s notice. “Closer to the Grave”  features 12-songs and 67-minutes worth of brutal old school death metal that should appeal to fans of the genre. The songs are crushingly brutal, yet musical and infinitely listenable. The production and overall presentation are very good. The songs are produced perfectly and not too overdone. They are set to release new music in 2009 and it should be interesting to see where Spiritual Decay go from here. To say this band is influenced by the old school should not imply that they are stuck in the past however, there is enough modern elements included that should make Spiritual Decay relevant in 2008 and beyond.