Album Review

Score 8.6
Written by Dan Staige
Published on 10/24/2003
Enter a complete desecration of music as you know it. Enter the total obliteration of traditional music and the supreme rebuild of what death metal is about to become. Enter…..Decrepit Birth. The ideas of the masterminds behind this band are simple: Insult, degrade, humiliate, and ultimately annihilate anything that can be understood, comprehended, or whistled along to. Holy shit is this ever some powerful fucking music we have here. First I have to mention that Matt Sotelo is the epitome of a fret-master. 90% of this album is palm muted but the sounds he achieves from these odd-chords and note combos really gives this music an eerie feel that most death metal should have as it’s standard. Yeah and it’s Tim Yeung on drums people. Have you heard this advanced being yet? If not, go fire an M-16 for 15 minutes non-stop and try counting the exact number of bullets that have been discharged. Prod is very impressive, especially for a debut of a band trying to capture smooth presentation of such rippling power at the speed it’s delivered. Some people are going to piss’n’moan about the bass drum sounding too triggered. Truth is, this album just wouldn’t sound the same w/ any alterations to the sound of Yeung. He is so precise in his patterns and fluent in speed that it sounds like a machine at times. The technikillity on this record implodes my fucking brain. Just when I was beginning to be able to follow a great deal of Disgorge’s material, along comes DB and smashes all progress I’ve made. There has got to be a completely different level of existence in order to be able to assemble songs like this and have other musicians understand, follow, and complement it. It’s like an exclusive club that secretly bores deeper into the earth and keeps it’s discoveries to itself for sole purpose of personal gain. “And Time Begins” presents only the leanest, meanest, heaviest, and most confusing songs possible. The blistering takes a short breather w/ the masterful instrumental “…Of Genocide”, which berths monster grinding chords at crawl pace over Yeung’s pulping double kick. The riff pattern throbs intensely and escalates over sub-demonic grumbles and sub-surface volcanic blasts. The disc is short, just under 30 minutes. But the message itself is loud and clear from the beginning: You are listening to something that will take an eternity to fully understand. And if that understanding is ever met, it will be on Decrepit Birth’s own terms. Brutal, dark, fast and unbelievably technical. What the fuck more do you need? Support this band and get this album now. This is what it’s all about.



TheKnife's Avatar
TheKnife | posted on 12/2010 | Reply
This is probably my favorite review ever.
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yevgeniy | posted on 1/2009 | Reply
Total riff-cramming, beat-blasting, gore-growling album. Very much enjoyable to people who really like true bruuuuuuuutal metal and an outstanding album considering debut.
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JB | posted on 1/2008 | Reply
I just recently got my hands on a copy of this album, and I friggin love it! I checked out a few of the new songs, and I'm not sure about it yet. I really like the more guttural sound of And Time Begins. I just hope the more melodic moments on the new album don't get in the way of the brutality. And I'm not sure why they would re-record the title track of this album. I sounded fine to me to begin with. Other than that, I will definitely be picking up the new one.
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IronMaiden | posted on 1/2008 | Reply
Oh boy...
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Red | posted on 1/2008 | Reply
Anyone who that this was a good album are going to shit themselves when they hear the new one (Diminishing Between Worlds). I got mine the other day (thanks Willowtip!!!) and it totally floored me!!!! I really can't believe how the Cynic/Death influence seems so natural and unforced. Already a top album for 2008!!!
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Nailed To Gold | posted on 12/2007 | Reply
http://www.myspace.com/decrepitbirth check out a re-recorded version of And Time Begins.
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Alex | posted on 12/2007 | Reply
I thought I was the only one hearing some Mithras in the new stuff by DB.... If Diminished Between Worlds is even close to Behind the Shadows in quality.., it will be a great release. And judging by the two new song on their myspace ,it is going to be a great way to start the new metal year....
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Jordan Campbell | posted on 12/2007 | Reply
Yeah, the new tracks sound very, very impressive. I wasn't a huge fan of this particular album, but I am looking forward to hearing their new one it it's entirety. I mentioned in the forums that there is a strong Mithras influence on the new stuff (an observation that is only bolstered by the cover art), but that is FAR from a bad thing....Mithras' latest is DM album of 2007, in my opinion. I agree that 2008 will be a killer year for death metal, and Diminishing Between Worlds should be a hell of a kickstart.
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Heya | posted on 12/2007 | Reply
Judging from the new song in their myspace, the change reminds me of how Odious Mortem changed from the debut, "Devouring the Prophecy" to "Cryptic Implosion." Its the same evolution for Decrepit Birth and it can be said that their new album will be the "Cryptic Implosion" of 2008.
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Alex | posted on 11/2007 | Reply
The new Decrepit Birth is shaping up to be a giant! Death metal fans around the globe has some serious blasting coming their way in 2008. Severed Savior, Deeds of Flesh, Hour of Penance, Gorgasm, Unmerciful, etc,etc ....
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Heya | posted on 11/2007 | Reply
Listen to the new song in Decrepit Birth's myspace! Now, that is totally a badass song! It fucking brutal and sick and it has a great melody to it to! KC Howard, it just crazy man, how can he oull of this stuff and also a fucking great solo comes on it to! Fucking great! They are fucking brutal, technical, melodic at the same time now!
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DUDE | posted on 11/2007 | Reply
I got to say Severed Savior,Decrepit Birth,and Vile are the top badass bands on Unique Leader.
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Neil | posted on 11/2007 | Reply
Great band, can't wait for the new album!
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sanjaya | posted on 8/2007 | Reply
Try Internal Suffering, Brutus and Inveracity also......Lesser known but they rip.
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i hate you | posted on 8/2007 | Reply
decrepit birth of course. then unmerciful.
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JB | posted on 8/2007 | Reply
Question, guys, out of Decrepit Birth, Unmerciful, Disgorge, and the other brutal death bands on Unique Leader, which one is the most bad ass? Which album should I start with?
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agreed | posted on 6/2007 | Reply
new decrepit birth will be almost too awesome for words. Search for Matt Sotelo on youtube to see what I' m talking about.
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Nailed To Gold | posted on 6/2007 | Reply
While everyone is overhyping the shit out of the new Nile, I bet the the Decrepit Birth is gonna destroy it. I've heard 3 songs from a sampler, and WOW. I cant wait for this one. I actually found some parts of And Time Begins to be a bit boring.
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ellipsis | posted on 5/2007 | Reply
The new album is going to kill this. The songs seem to have more of an identity and not just a bunch of random palm muted tremolo riffs thrown together. Anyone else with me?
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Zack | posted on 5/2007 | Reply
These guys kick all kinds of ass. Straight up brutal death metal. Oh and they are coming out with a new one at the end of the year.
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Adrian | posted on 11/2006 | Reply
The drumming on this album is pure bliss.
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Adrian | posted on 11/2006 | Reply
The drumming on his album is pure bliss.
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Alex | posted on 11/2006 | Reply
Decrepit Birth owns! This is Death Metal like it should sound,- groovy, brutal and heavy as fuck! It will make you heads spin. Cant wait for the next offering....
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c | posted on 10/2006 | Reply
Slow down!
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Pik Pik | posted on 10/2006 | Reply
Fukking awesome album. everything rages. these guys have their shit together. Eric rutan slaughters on the production as well. Buy or Die muthufukkerz
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Tay | posted on 5/2006 | Reply
Tha album iz supurb... "Even tha percise image of demize outlast tha onez B-4 It'z perfecT". S.C.M.C.=Family ghosT Shet eP?
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Vile | posted on 4/2006 | Reply
Tim is the best ever...You better watch this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=sMOj9tHdhhY&search=tim%20yeung It's totally amazing. I think Tim should replace Roddy in Hate Eternal...It's a crime that these drummers aren't playing in any serious DM bands, both Yeung and Roddy.
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Joe | posted on 4/2006 | Reply
OMFG. This album is the most brutal album I've ever heard!!!!! Bill has really great voice, and even tough he's very extreme, I find it very easy to follow the lyrics of the songs, unlike other exterme vocalists. And Sculpy, what did you say about the riffs? No, cause I just can't get out of my head the riffs in this album. And I mean it. Unique Leader bands kills everything.
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Patrick D w/ Metalreview.com | posted on 2/2006 | Reply
OMG!! A boring and tepid example of Ultra Brutal Death Metal released by Unique Leader? No fucking way!
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Infested | posted on 2/2006 | Reply
Amazing album. The only one litle problem is that it's not long enough. But that doesn't matter at all, this album is still perfect. Buy this or die!
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Sculpy | posted on 7/2005 | Reply
I love my death metal brutal. I love it fast. I love it technical. Unfortunately, Decrepit Birth is all those things and still a failure. The drumming is incredibly boring and does add any dynamics to the rest of the band, and there isn't a single riff worth remembering on the whole album. Just a bunch of pseudo technical chugging wank. This album pales in comparison to Decrepit Birth's peers. Sorry guys, being brutal isn't enough to be valid in any way, and that's all you really are.
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Nervecell | posted on 12/2004 | Reply
Discovering extreme metal is kinda hard where I live (Dubai, UAE) but I did find out about the Decrepit Birth album through a friend and I was lucky! All I can say that its one of the most technical DM albums out there. The guitar work is what really impressed me; very unpredictable...Drumming is just insane!! 100% brutality nothing else...I prefer DB over Psycroptic anytime!
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Rufus | posted on 3/2004 | Reply
Decrepit Birth is a little too emo for me....... just kidding. When I first heard Shroud of Impurity, I shat myself in delight. Easily the heaviest album ever released.
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Brian Lemanski | posted on 11/2003 | Reply
Death metal the way it was meant to be played. Brutal and in your face! To bad these guys aren't on the Bloodletting North America 4 tour!!
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matt  | posted on 11/2003 | Reply
dude I forgot to say... honestly, I'll agree the Psycroptic sound production is cleaner than ours, I love that cd, I cant get it out of my player. But our mistake was in the final mix and master...we were just not getting what we wanted, but money and time was NOT on our side...we had no choice but to turn in our master, and honestly some of the previous mixes were so much thicker and cleaner but not as professional as what we ended up with...so hey, maybe next time. And as I said before, If you just dont like our music, so be it, not everyone is gonna love what we do, however, I am very proud of it and if you look deep in to it, each song is part of the story and comes from our hearts, and always will.
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matt sotelo | posted on 11/2003 | Reply
Just so you guys know...Tim played every drum note on this record(to a metronome set at many differnt tempos), no sequencing, or drum machine. Obviously as all bands these days do, there some punch-ins ONLY at the breaks, but not what I would call more than any other band out there. As far as Pro tools...we used E-MU Paris Pro as our D.A.W.. And all the drums were tracked to an Alesis XT-20 Adat in my home studio. Any questions about the production on this album you can send to my email, and I'll be more than happy to answer, But just so you guys know we didnt use Digidesign "Pro Tools"at any part of the recording...it was all done on E-mu/ensoniq Paris 3.0 and Alesis Adat. cheers!
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meshman | posted on 11/2003 | Reply
So Psycroptic sound like a wind-up toy and this sounds good. So I guess pigs fly, as well.
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meshman | posted on 11/2003 | Reply
...but I got bored after a couple of minutes. I'm sorry, but if a song is just pure speed/crunch without a semblence of melody, then the (what I like to call) "Disgorge Effect" kicks in and I start thinking about when I'm gonna pick up the dry cleaning. I would rather listen to Psycroptic, who atleast have varying tempos and some interesting rhythms/melodies.
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.5 hazzerd | posted on 11/2003 | Reply
Bringer of Truth has opened our eyes to the conspiracy of "Tym".... While you continue your quest for the perfect drummer who brags about his work, I'll keep listening to this album daily and revel in this percussive farce.
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Bringer of Truth | posted on 11/2003 | Reply
Do you think that Tym can really play it ??? Let´s check out his carrer.... the first Hate Eternal is a cool album, but not too fast... Agiel is nice, but Tym failed in many moments, just listen to it louder!!! Aurora Borealis is fast, but nothing twisted.. and now it seems that Decrepit Birth used a killer PRO TOOLS here....You gotta admit Why don´t this guy talk about his drumming??? Is he afraid?
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adam conrad | posted on 11/2003 | Reply
it's just another Suffocation clone guys, nothing to sphincter twitch over. but the cover art: BOY HOWDY!!!!! aint that a purdy thang!
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pcp | posted on 11/2003 | Reply
That last sentence makes it look as if english was my second language.
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pcp | posted on 11/2003 | Reply
I just popped this in the player. Great disc... for raw brutal death and nothing else, this will about the best you will find released lately. Unlike with psychocrotic (sp?), the triggering on Yeung's kit fits almost perfectly with the rest of the music as there is all ready plenty of low end in the mix to keep me happy. Haven't listened to it enough to form an opinion of the overall songwriting and structure of the album, but it seems like i will not soon be disappointed.
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darrell | posted on 11/2003 | Reply
when i talk about death metal, this is the type of band that just sticks to mind. the whole album is FUCKIN AMAZING. all those people who listen to brutal death metal need to get this NOW!
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goreblast | posted on 10/2003 | Reply
Best death metal record of the year, hands down!!!!!!!!! If you like brutal technicality BUY THIS ALBUM!!!!!!!!!
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Ty Oliver | posted on 10/2003 | Reply
I think the reviewer summed up this cd quite nicely. Decrepit Birth CRUSHES all that have come before them. The day the album released, Time Began!!!
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adam | posted on 10/2003 | Reply
i still listen to it often, fucking amazing. and ifyou read this again, matt: play some fucking shows!
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grinder | posted on 10/2003 | Reply
i got this cd awhile back and i play it constantly around the house.
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matt sotelo | posted on 10/2003 | Reply
Hey, this is Matt, guitarist for Decrepit Birth, thanks a lot for the killer review, and kind words. I know not everyone is gonna love this disc, but It's not meant for everyone. Cheers!
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el jefe | posted on 10/2003 | Reply
This didn't do much for me when I listened to..with so many death metal bands, some stick out and some don't. decrepit birth didn't stick out in my mind.
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ScOrN | posted on 10/2003 | Reply
This album was decent at best. Nothing all that spectacular here. The Psycropic was sooooo much better
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grinder | posted on 10/2003 | Reply
unique leader bands are fucking insane . this album is no exception ,def worth the money.
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Lustmord | posted on 10/2003 | Reply
I dont like UL stuff but thsi shit is great, yeung HAS to be mentiend with sandoval, roddy, etc.
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Strength | posted on 10/2003 | Reply
This is a really good album,review some more Unique Leader bands!!
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Ancient Gay Ass Gortex Mutex | posted on 10/2003 | Reply
I would echo the sentiments of my dear friend and hated enemy Happy. This Shit is pretty fucking better.
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Nightstalker | posted on 10/2003 | Reply
That's about it. This disc is fukcing killer, man. My jaw drops even after countless spins when I hear the fucking drumming on this bitch. Must own disc.