Dekira - Ominous Prophecies (Void Wanderer Produc�ons) Review by Miloš Šebalj One might count the United States of America as almost an exo�c loca�on to look for a black metal band. Most of the other genres had their pinnacles there, but black metal never seemed to have caught up. Despite a couple of very good bands that emerged and were hailed even in the rest of the world. To use American terms, Dekira has quite an open field to run for a touchdown. However, I have a feeling they have tripped and fallen down somewhere in the ‘red zone’, missing a chance yet providing a new one in the next a�ack. Let me explain further. “Ominous Prophecies” is the debut for Dekira and it is a mostly pure black metal effort, drenched in the second wave. Being a debutant, it is expected to hear some new, fresh and original ideas. Wrapped in unrelen�ng energy that can almost exclusively come from a young act. One that has yet to experience downfall and hardship brought by the ever-expanding flood of worthless crap that always seems to move one step further. Hearing the album, there is no doubt Dekira has what it takes. “Ominous Prophecies” is without a doubt a black metal record. If I was to pick deeper, Dekira strives more towards a dark, melancholic approach, instead of the harsh chill of the Norwegian ancestors. S�ll, there is more than simple black metal at hand here. Melodic death metal is the most notable influence, especially when speaking about the guitar work. Closing track, “Ayahuasca”, is the perfect example, since those lead guitars o�en remind me of Dissec�on from their last records. Also, some modern Swedish melodic death comes to mind fragmentally offering a more versa�le soundscape than what most of the hard core black metal fans are used to. Bringing the atmosphere, rather than aggression, to the forefront, using somewhat unexpected means, Dekira created a fairly memorable record. Though not yet outstanding, as the interes�ng concept they had envisioned has its lapses. When it comes to those, most of them, I’m sure, derive from the lack of experience. Again, “Ominous Prophecies” is the debut album, so these ‘mistakes’ might have been expected. First thing that comes to the ear is the produc�on which went one step further than it was necessary. The sound is almost crystal clear and every instrument is perfectly audible, but the overall feel is that of a record that has lost its sharpness along the way. 21st century equipment and the possibili�es it offers have traps of their own that caught Dekira unsuspec�ng. The other thing is the men�oned memorability of “Ominous Prophecies”. Yes, there are parts of the albumwhich surely fall out of the clear blue skies and make it stand out. Par�cularly those melodic lead guitars that easily slide into regular solos and back towards tradi�onal black metal carnage without even a slight uncomfortable feel. The opening to “Shackled by the Hands of the Shepherd” is something I’ve never heard on a black metal record. However, as these parts are very catchy and place Dekira’s name somewhere in the back of your head for future use, they are s�ll few and far between. It is my opinion they can be further explored and be�er infused into the standard way of black metal songwri�ng. Thus providing the band with something that just might become a trademark of their own. Do not let the shortcomings of “Ominous Prophecies” stop you from taking it into considera�on. At least take some �me to try it online. The album definitely contains some promising material. A step in the right direc�on, for sure. I’m le�ng the debut soak in for a while and keeping my expecta�ons high for the next album. h�ps://www.facebook.com/dekiraband/ h�ps://www.facebook.com/voidwandererprod/
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