Band:	Decadence
Album:	3rd Stage Of Decay
Style:	Melodic death metal, Thrash metal
Release date:	November 02, 2006
Guest review by:	Vikingocalypse;

01. Corrosion
02. Claustrophobia
03. 3rd Stage Of Decay
04. Theater Of The Absurd
05. Settle The Score
06. Sculpture
07. Invert
08. Endgame

For 3rd stage of Decay, Decadence has stepped even further from melodic death metal as progression towards thrash metal has continued. In fact, that is the point of Decadence: progressing in thrash while clinging onto the roots of the great 1980s.

Evidence of this is found in Metallic Kitty's vocals. Growls are still apparent on 3rd Stage of Decay, but more thrash metal screams, similar to those heard by Exodus and Slayer, are noticeable. Biggest highlights of this are on the tracks "Corrosion" and "Theater Of The Absurd."

A lot of thrash metal riffs have been added by the guitar players. Even if there are death metal growls, there's a lot of thrash metal riffs and velocity backing up. This interesting fusion can automatically tell a listener "old thrash metal never rusts." The biggest highlight of that is the song "Invert" and the pre-chorus of "Theater Of The Absurd."

What also is really great about 3rd Stage of Decay is the songs' melodies. Besides the progression of the guitar riffs and screams, there's a lot of melody on almost every track. The most melodic elements on the album are apparent on the songs "3rd Stage of Decay" and "Sculpture." These elements and moments on the album make up the statement: melodic thrash metal.

What also is remarkable about 3rd Stage Of Decay is the quality of production. It's not very high quality like the production of most mainstream albums that suit the marketing standards, and certainly isn't raw and cold like early Norwegian black metal albums that suit the standards of underground fanatics. The production quality is adequately sufficient. It's as Decadence's goal was to make the album based on originality and progression, not an aim for perfection or a tool for the market.

What makes Decadence as a band truly unique is their progression through originality. They work hard on giving tribute and keeping the sound of old school thrash metal alive, but at the same time they're making music the way they want it to sound by not following the trends of other bands. In fact, Decadence is the kind of band many new school thrashers can learn from. Hence the song "Corrosion" is featured on the compilation Thrashing Like A Maniac.

For every thrasher out there, Decadence is a name to keep in mind because it will be a name heard very often after the dawn of the new decade.