Dekad

"Sin_Lab" (Album, 2005)

This review should be read in conjunction with the one for Celluloide's Words Once Said. I discovered both bands on the Elektrisch! 2 compilation earlier this year where Dekad remixed Celluloide. Problem was although I liked the song - I couldn't tell if it was the original composition, Dekad's remix work or both I liked. I've now listened to both Dekad and Celluloide albums and can present my conclusions.

It's really frustrating to review this. If points were awarded for sounds then Dekad could earn a fair few. Lovely, warm, analog-sounding basslines, and lead lines fill this debut album. Annoyingly the songwriting doesn't hold up meaning that the sounds are squandered on mediocre compositions. Their influences are diverse, but although Dekad focus mostly on synthpop or a sort or lightweight EBM, the Gothic side of Clan of Xymox and The Cure can sometimes be heard reflected in some of the guitar parts. With no less than fourteen tracks you can't help but think Dekad would have been better off raising the bar on their quality threshold and put as much energy into fewer hopefully better songs. It occasionally comes together (best cuts are Never Too Late, Peacefull and Sin_Lab) but not enough to prompt many revisits. In a word: disappointing. 4/10

Rob Dyer (October, 2007)

Official website: http://dekad.online.fr