Review by Krys on February 24, 2004.

Sweden's Centinex have been around for a long time but they never seemed to break out into a higher level to get more deserved recognition. With their fifth full-length album, "Decadence - Prophecies of Cosmic Chaos", that's all about to change. While "Decadence..." is nothing that hasn't been done before it is simply the quintessence of melodic Swedish death metal and it should be respected as such.

A clear but massive production makes this album a pleasurable listen, while a pounding rhythm section delivers double kick blows right into the stomach. Backed up by low tuned, thick guitars' sound and varied vocals of Johan Jansson, "Decadence..." is everything that fans of melodic death metal crave for. Don't mistake 'melodic' for In Flames-like tunes because Centinex is all about intensity and aggression, and the melody lines are here to add just more groove to otherwise very powerful tracks. From furious tracks like 'Target: Dimension XII' to the slower 'Deathstar Unmasked' to the thrashy hooks of 'Misanthropic Darkzone', Centinex delivers enough variety and change of pace to keep listener interested and excited.

Other than the fact that "Decadence - Prophecies of Cosmic Chaos" doesn't represent anything groundbreaking, I don't have a single thing to complain about. Every aspect of this album is taken to a higher level and delivered with energy and passion that seems to be lost in most of today's releases. Centinex doesn't experiment with genres, new instruments or vocals (although you can find few computerized effects here); since 1990 they've stayed their chosen path, play their own style and do a damn good job. This material is worth checking out by any fan of extreme music but fans of quality Swedish melodic death will fall in love with it from the first listen.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 10
Originality: 6
Overall: 10

Rating: 8.4 out of 10