For some time now, the Greek underground has not been anything to underestimate. From names new and old, Greece has been damn near non-stop in its pursuit of delivering world-class metal that is recognized in every capacity from all tiers of the metal world from underground snobs to entrance-level newcomers that have no idea where to start. While I’ve always associated Dødsferd as the extreme of what Greek black metal has always been capable of in every category, there are always new names that manage to come my way to show me what else can still be achieved. In no small way, the latest effort from Decipher proves to be one that offers up far more than some simplistic icy riffs or loose atmosphere. Instead, Decipher lays the foundation for a true tour de force.

There are some bands that really just seem to be set up for excellence right from the beginning with the passage of time the only answer that we’re given when we’re wondering what may come next from such a name. When Decipher threw down their first EP four years ago, I had heard whispers of the Greek act whose performance was certainly eyebrow-raising, but it wasn’t until tonight that I found myself before the undeniable might of Decipher whose black metal is far more than what I think many of us could have expected. Ferocious even in its smallest moments that effortlessly crawl underneath your skin, “Arcane Paths to Resurrection” finds the listener in a sweet spot for the genre that scratches all the necessary itches that one may have when delving through the darkness of black metal while the talent and power that’s constantly at play here make damn sure that this full-length is anything but a routine listen. Filled with more than enough riffage and the attitude to bring it to the table is a viciously compelling assault upon the soul itself, the dark magic that binds together every moment of “Arcane Paths to Resurrection” wastes no time in the pursuit of its sinister goals with its spell-binding natures quickly making these seven tracks of the sort that pulls you further into the abyss with its intoxicating factor. Decipher never once fails to sink its hooks deeper into the spirit as the record only becomes more refined in its unholy glory the longer you put yourself before its might such that by the end of it all, “Arcane Paths to Resurrection” is the light in the deep darkness you never expected to find. Now, however, you cannot escape its gaze nor would you ever dare of doing so.

We could talk for days without taking a break for so much as a breath when it comes to the burgeoning talent in black metal across the globe. It’s such that it can be overwhelming at the time with many of us still seeking to stick to those long-established bastions of the genre whose reservoirs of talent and surprises have yet to run dry with Greece’s black metal scene a spring that never ceases to flow, and Decipher is but one of the latest deluges from that glorious well! This is far from a typical experience of black metal that one might expect with every dip back into the depths of “Arcane Paths to Resurrection” offering new visages and excellence that we weren’t privy to before. Decipher has instantly made itself a need-to-know name that demands to be respected and two eyes kept firmly on at all times, for if this is what they’re capable of now then the future is primed for their unyielding conquest!

“Arcane Paths to Resurrection” releases on April 21st via Transcending Obscurity Records!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Arcane Paths to Resurrection” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Decipher on Facebook here.