Review by Denis on February 1, 2003.

The three video clips by Salem included are actually songs from their latest album called "Collective Demise". This is the fourth full length from the band that started business back in 1985. The current line-up is made of three old timers: Ze'ev Tananboim (vocals), Lior Mizrahi (guitar) , Michael Goldstein (bass) and a couple of recent additions : Nir Nakav (drums) and Nir Gutraiman (guitar). It can be read in the band' bio that '"Collective Demise" contains 12 new songs which textually are snapshots of our reality since September 2001'. It is also said to be the most aggressive album to date from the band that shared stage with famous acts like Megadeth, Entombed, Ancient Rites and Rotting Christ.

The first part is a gallery made of the cover art of "Collective Demise", individual pictures of the musicians and some promo shots of them. Then comes the meat, the videos and this is what they are containing.

1. Act of War: The intro is made by a traditional instrument called an ‘Arabic Darbuka’ (percussions). The heaviest number by its music and significance. The vocals are the screaming Death type with lots of guitar riffs on a nonetheless melodic composition. Angelic female back vocals do the calmer partitions of the songs. It shows the hard reality of terrorism with a black (brown) and white video of a man preparing an homemade bomb, then taking the bus to commit suicidal bombing. After the fact, the father of one of the victims is interviewed by the media and his reaction to this brings him to say he's happy because it was done for the good cause being encouraged by the government. Salem's message is loud and clear: they are all against this and want to promote construction rather than destruction.

2. Al Taster. My favorite one also begins with traditional instrumentation before the thundering Heavy Metal takes over. This heavy melody contains very good guitar harmonies and female vocals before the lead singer is introduced. An opus with an excellent blend of Doom / Death Metal. It was the first single and video released in Israel back in June from "Collective Demise". Interesting to note that it is a cover of an old Jewish hymn and the lyrics are from Psalms, chapter 102, verse 3. On this video, we can see more of the band members and a beautiful blonde lady dressed in black bringing flowers on the grave of a lost loved one. Sad and beautiful story.

3. 'Broken Yet United'. It is a live presentation of the musicians. The composition is here again a good Doom / Death mixture. Also includes the traditional percussions (Arabic Darbuka) on a highly energetic, raw and melodic song. Some pictures are back-stage, other in studio but most of the action takes place in concert showing their relation with the crowd that is having a hell of a good time. The light show is at times totally blinding, just like an explosion.

Bottom Line: Salem is a mature band wanting to invade new musical territories with "Collective Demise".

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 8.5
Originality: 8
Production: 8.5
Overall: 8

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by Yener on May 20, 2019.

I have been waiting a long time for this album. Unlike a lot of people, I didn't have any problems with Carnival is Forever even though most people I've talked to don’t really care for that album. And I admit, when I first got it, I gave it a few uninspired listens, then just put it on the shelf and forgot about it. Not quite sure what prompted me to pick it back up a year later and give it another spin, but when I did, I found myself not listening to anything else. Over time it really grew on me, to the point where I prefer it to previous Decapitated albums.

So to be perfectly honest, I was hoping for more of the same, and Blood Mantra pretty much does just that. However, it does it far better than I would have expected. This is going to sound like blasphemy, but I think this is now my favorite Decapitated album. Why? Because I see it as the band finally matured and found their feet, their own style. While Winds of Creation (while being the great album that it is) was pretty… how do I say this... it sounds like it was written by teenagers, which it was.

Decapitated are much further into their careers now, and yes, it’s like a completely different band. Gone are the speedy, death metal sections in favor of more rhythm driven guitar playing. That’s not to say that this album doesn't have an abundance of great riffs on it, because it does. It’s just that the style is so different it’s completely silly to even compare the old and new Decapitated. Anyway, onto the what really matters: the music.

The album kicks off with “Exiled in Flesh”, before launching into “The Blasphemous Psalm to the Dummy God Creation”, and I must say, this is exactly what I was wanting to hear. Untraditional guitar work, excellent drumming, and just a rhythmic powerhouse. I was a tad disappointed when Krimh left the band, but new drummer Mlody appears to be doing a damn fine job.

The production and sound on this album are worth nothing. It’s pretty similar to Carnival is Forever, but meatier, with thicker, angrier guitars. Vocals are nicely laid in the mix, which is a good thing, as I have no problems with Rafal’s style, he fits the music perfectly. Someone like Sauron would just not complement the music well, and as I have said before, that’s all in the past now. The drums and bass are nice and clear, nothing too exceptional or flashy here, they just do their jobs well and serve the songs the way they are meant to be served.

The title track is just an absolute monster, it just oozes greatness and class. That opening riff is killer. The verse riffs are killer. The breakdown at 3:56 is killer. The band are in top form and at this point they’re just knocking it out. This is some seriously heavy and addictive song writing. “Nest” sees Vogg taking an even more rhythmic approach to guitar playing here, but not in the Meshuggah sense really, though I could see how some people could find similarities, even though to me the two bands sound nothing alike. 

What really kicked me in the face was “Instinct”, probably my favorite song on the album. The riffing is just masterfully crafted, and you can tell that a lot of work and care went into this song. Not just the riffs, but in the arrangement as well, which is what truly makes it shine. The breakdown at 3:34 and the section which follows right after is probably one of the best things I have ever heard from Decapitated. “Red Sun” gives you a bit of room to breathe before delivering the final blow in the form of “Moth Defect.”

I've heard some people accuse Vogg of abusing the low E string and calling them nu-metal. Either those people have dicks lodged firmly in their ears or have no idea what they are listening to. Too much chugging? Abusing the low E? May I point you in the direction of “Spheres of Madness”? That’s what I thought.

Overall, I was very impressed by this album, and I had set the bar quite high, even though I tried not to, so I wouldn't be disappointed with the end result. But disappointed was the last thing I was, as this is a serious slab of just straight up, quality metal. The boys from Poland are on top form, and this is not to be missed.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10