Review by TheOneNeverSeen on February 6, 2023.

Since I am not a huge fan of later Decapitated, I did not expect much from this album. I was glad to have been proven wrong: Cancer Culture is now among my favorite albums of all time and my favorite release by the band since the debut, especially strong in comparison to its bare-bone predecessor Anticult. 

After the sinister instrumental intro 'From The Nothingness With Love', the album strikes you with the fervent intro of the title track, which is plain AWESOME. The grinding drums are difficult to overestimate, the main riff is catchy and brutal, Rafał's vocals, although not changed significantly compared to Anticult sound much more well-integrated into the music. The "clean" version of the chorus also fits the song, while the guitar section following the second repetition of the chorus (the one when Rafał screams "Cancer") is absolutely sick and overwhelming (while I don't like bands like Darko that utilize this style of pinch harmonics, here it's impeccable). 

The rest of the album is a consistent, unrelenting flow of epicness, offering powerful riffing ('Just A Cigarette', 'No Cure') balancing with epic tragic melodies ('Suicidal Space Programme', 'Hours As Battlegrounds'). Most elements are utilized in multiple songs (quiet yet ominous and atmospheric background vocals appear on the title track, 'Just A Cigarette' and 'Hours As Battlegrounds', while the pinch harmonics of 'Cancer Culture' can also be found on 'Locked'), but don't feel overused. The most remarkable part of the album (besides the 'Cancer Culture' riff) is undoubtedly the melodic singing of Robb Flynn of Machine Head in the middle of 'Iconoclast'. It fits the song perfectly and makes it stand out from the rest of the album. The vocals of 'Hello Death' (Rafał's intro scream and melodic singing of Tatiana Shmayluk of Jinjer make the track much more epic and remarkable) should be noted, too. 

I enjoyed the album's lyrics a lot. Besides the fire social commentary (I especially loved the lyrics and message of 'Cancer Culture', 'Just A Cigarette' and 'No Cure'), it offers some effective bleak imagery ('Suicidal Space Programme', 'Last Supper'). As always, Decapitated don't disappoint regarding the exploration of the album's lyrical themes.

In conclusion, Cancer Culture is a brilliant release with stunning melodies, interesting application of the guest musicians' vocals as well as an awesome cover art. Definitely my favorite album of 2022 and an excellent example of modern death metal.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10