Blood Mantra

Blood Mantra is the sixth studio album by Polish death metal band Decapitated. It was released on September 22, 2014 in Poland via Mystic Production and later in September via Nuclear Blast Records in other regions. Blood Mantra was produced by Wojtek and Sławek Wiesławscy. It is the band's first album to feature drummer Michał Łysejko and their only album to feature bassist Paweł Pasek. The song "The Blasphemous Psalm to the Dummy God Creation" was released as a single on August 8, 2014.[1][2] Two days earlier, the single was released as digital stream on Nuclear Blast YouTube profile.[1]

Blood Mantra
Cover art by Łukasz Jaszak
Studio album by
Decapitated
ReleasedSeptember 22, 2014 (2014-09-22)
Recorded2014
StudioHertz Studio, Białystok, Poland
GenreTechnical death metal, groove metal
Length39:37
LabelNuclear Blast, Mystic Production
ProducerWojtek and Sławek Wiesławscy
Decapitated chronology
Carnival Is Forever
(2011)		 Blood Mantra
(2014)		 Anticult
(2017)
Singles from Blood Mantra
  1. "The Blasphemous Psalm to the Dummy God Creation"
    Released: August 8, 2014

Background

Blood Mantra is the follow-up to Decapitated's 2011 album Carnival Is Forever. It is the recording debut of drummer Michał Łysejko with the band, who joined the band in January 2014,[3] and also the first album to feature bassist Paweł Pasek. It was recorded at Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland, with producers Wojtek and Sławek Wiesławscy. The album cover art was created by Polish artist Łukasz Jaszak.[4]

Guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka commented on the album, "Extreme and groove — I think that's the best way to describe our new album. This time we feel that we have something totally crushing and huge. Blood Mantra is the most heavy and mature album we ever did in our career. I cannot wait to start to play songs live because riffs are soo deep and powerful."[4] He also stated, "We flirt with various tempos mixing death metal with grindcore and almost outright black metal atmosphere together with more, so to speak, 'crowd-puller' beats verging on groovy, almost stoner-rock climates. There are also a few more modern metal rhythmic riffs where we return to the climate of Organic Hallucinosis album. I'm certain that the very fact we are again, after 9 years, in Hertz studio will evoke the spirit of that album. The vocals sound very promising. Rasta [Rafał Piotrowski] is a much more experienced vocalist compared to the Carnival Is Forever album times. And his voice sounds more powerful and deeper."[4]

A music video for "Instinct" was released in October.[5]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[6]
Blabbermouth.net(8.5/10)[7]
Exclaim![8]
The QuietusPositive[9]
Revolver[10]
The Sun[11]

In a Blood Mantra review, Revolver stated: "Twelve years after Poland’s Decapitated raised the death-metal bar with its mighty sophomore album, Nihility, the band’s dynamic arrangements and scalpel-edged musicianship are still a wonder to behold".[10]

According to Exclaim!, "Blood Mantra features the band's signature well-executed style, but with the experimental twists that Decapitated have mastered over the years and have provided the distinguishing factor between albums. The band's trademark crushing technicality and heavy, aggressive grooves ("Exiled in Flesh," "Veins") juxtapose with new elements such as melodic passages and avant-garde structures ("Blindness," "Red Sun")".[8]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Rafał "Rasta" Piotrowski; all music is composed by Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka[12][13].

No.TitleLength
1."Exiled in Flesh"4:05
2."The Blasphemous Psalm to the Dummy God Creation"2:31
3."Veins"5:04
4."Blood Mantra"5:05
5."Nest"6:25
6."Instinct"5:49
7."Blindness"7:37
8."Red Sun" (Instrumental)3:01
9."Moth Defect" (Bonus Track)6:21
Total length:39:37
Special edition DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Diary 2010–2014" 

Personnel

Decapitated

Production

Charts
Chart (2014) Peak
position
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[14] 11
UK Indie Albums Chart[15] 30
US Top Heatseekers[16] 5

Release history
Formats Region Date Label
CD, CD+DVD, LP, LP+CD, digital download Poland September 22, 2014 Mystic Production[17]
Europe September 26, 2014 Nuclear Blast[18]
UK September 29, 2014
North America September 30, 2014

References
  1. "Decapitated: New Single 'The Blasphemous Psalm To The Dummy God Creation' Available For Streaming". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  2. "The Blasphemous Psalm to the Dummy God Creation - Single - Decapitated". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  3. "Decapitated: 'Blood Mantra' Track Listing Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. July 17, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  4. "Decapitated To Release 'Blood Mantra' In September". Blabbermouth.net. July 9, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  5. "Decapitated: 'Instinct' Video Released". Blabbermouth.net. October 3, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  6. Campagna, Tom (September 30, 2014). "Decapitated - Blood Mantra Review". About.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  7. Van Horn, Jr., Ray (October 30, 2014). "Decapitated - "Blood Mantra"". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  8. Falzon, Denise (September 29, 2014). "Decapitated Blood Mantra". Exclaim!. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  9. Brown, Dean (October 16, 2014). "Decapitated Blood Mantra Review". The Quietus. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  10. Perlah, Jeff (September 24, 2014). "Review: Decapitated – Blood Mantra". Revolver. Archived from the original on September 29, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  11. "Decapitated Blood Matra". The Sun. September 29, 2014. For all its maniacal ferocity, death metal is, by and large, a conformist niche. Decapitated have always been one of the few bands to break the ties that bind without ever reneging on the genre - on their fan base, built up over two decades. Vogg's guitar work is devastating in its technicality and brutality, while the pulsating Veins steals my vote for the death metal track of the year. Bringing dashes of black metal, grindcore and even stoner rock into the mix, Decapitated's sixth album is the black cherry in top of their fallen angel cake. It's a great effort. Death doesn't often sound so alive. (Rating: 4.5/5)
  12. "Rock w sercu, metal we krwi" (in Polish). Heavyrock.eu. February 7, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  13. Blood Mantra. AllMusic.
  14. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  15. "2014 Top 40 Independent Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. 11 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  16. "Decapitated Billboard Charts". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  17. "Aktualności - Decapitated: nowy album we wrześniu! - Wytwórnia płytowa - Mystic Production" (in Polish). Mystic.pl. July 10, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  18. "Decapitated - Blood Mantra - Available At Nuclear Blast Records!" (in Polish). Media.nuclearblast.de. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
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