Florida seems to be an unlikely place for heavy music to thrive, but lo and behold, it hosts quite a few notable acts like Cannibal Corpse and Death. Joining their ranks is the heavy industrial act Protokoll 19. Combining grating synthesizers, punishing beats, and some of the harshest vocals on the dark music scene, Protokoll 19's new album, "Mental Decay", is a crash course on how heavy industrial can get. "Solitude" sets the pace for the whole album, as its death march is felt across all ten songs on the LP. "RIP (Me Apart)" sets the bar higher, as the compositions reach a fever pitch, and feature some insane guttural growls from vocalist Jayson Smith. "Spirit Board" is a straight up club banger, taking notes from greats like Unter Null, employing eerie droning low ends that weave between pounding bass and the higher pitched synths. Title track, "Mental Decay" follows suit, offering a brutal introspection on mental health with the lyrical content being perfectly soundtracked. What is so unique about Protokoll 19 is their approach to fusing industrial music with metal influences, as it relies more heavily on the vocal attack as opposed to using chainsaw guitar riffs and pummeling double kick drum embellishments. Jayson's approach is equal parts the harsh whisper-scream that is prevalent in heavier industrial, but the use of gutturals and piercing squeals is something not often heard of in the genre. "Mental Decay" is absolutely punishing from start to finish, and I didn't know if should stomp or crowd-kill while listening to this album. As both a fan of industrial and death metal, "Mental Decay" hits all the right spots.
Standout Tracks: "RIP (Me Apart)", "Spirit Board", and the C-Lekktor remix of "VVitch".
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