Review by Greg on April 21, 2024.

I've got no preconceptions regarding vocals performed in Spanish language, but for some strange circumstances, in thrash records I find them usually coupled with subpar performances. In this desolate landscape, I always maintained that Dekapited's Ignacio Norambuena was one of the very few exceptions to the rule, so if you ever felt this same issue, look no further than this Chilean act... their sound, heavily inspired by South American giants, promises serious business as well. Their first EP Contra iglesia y estado (transl. 'Against Church and State', 2011) welcomes you right from its friendly title and bleak b/w cover. It's not gonna be a tranquil walk in the park.

The band must have thought they improved a lot over the course of 4 years, since on their debut full-length Nacidos del odio none of these songs is featured. Yet, some of them deserved a chance, at the very least because said LP didn't reach half an hour of total running time. Moreover, the title-track and opener is by far the highlight, and a legitimate banger despite the absence of a de facto chorus. It just needed a more elaborated solo (as other songs on this very EP have), since that wannabe-melodic progression doesn't work so well, and most of all just doesn't fit with the surrounding brutality. 'Exhumación' is also very aggressive, and the omnipresent gang shouts play their part, but there isn't a single song not matching that description, to be fair (well, apart from the instrumental/battle ambient intro, I guess). As long as we're talking of an EP, a collection of short, full-throttle blasters can be acceptable, they'll probably need to work on the songwriting to create something more memorable or diverse, 'Hipocresía' delivering the only actual refrain of the release.

Dekapited clearly (and thankfully) took inspiration from the better part of their subcontinent, and Norambuena's vocals are on par, even if not particularly unique, with some well-placed shrieks accenting the strong anti-religious message of the band. Even the sound is powerful, yet unpolished, and more balanced than the LP. I've got really few other things to ask a minor release like Contra iglesia y estado.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on January 16, 2021.

When nimble fingers flit across the guitar board, a passionate singer with admirable vocal range delivers (mostly) nonsensical lyrics, the drums set predominantly medium-fast rhythms and the melodies never come up short, then there's a good chance that a Mystic Prophecy record is playing. This somewhat generic description actually applies to all records by the metal commando led by Mr Liapakis. Let's forget the ultra-awkward waste of raw material called Monuments Uncovered at this point. Otherwise I'll just get in a bad mood.

But I don't feel like it, because basically I like Mystic Prophecy. Their albums are so close to the literal text of the Metal Bible that even bands like Running Wild or Accept sound highly experimental in comparison. This may be a harsh judgement, but it in no way means that Savage Souls is a bad album or one that tends to be boring. Despite the traditional basic framework, the musicians ignite a fresh breeze thanks to their own conviction to simply offer good music. The joy of playing and authenticity leads to powerful compositions, which additionally undoubtedly benefit from the tremendous production. The guitars enjoy a clear, uninhibited sound, the drums are transparently staged, the bass comes just a little too short... Liapakis' voice towers above everything. If the lad had been born 15 years earlier, the term "ultimate metal singer" would probably not be associated with oddballs like Rob Halford.

Anyway, Liapakis gets everything out of the obviously oversized vocal cords: power, dedication and all the emotions that the compositions call for. Incidentally, these are generally conservatively constructed, but nevertheless vary in concrete structure. What they have in common, however, is the focus on mostly melodious choruses. 'Best Days of My Life' or 'Deception of Hate' are just two of the pieces that feature a strong, melody-driven chorus. The title track is also one of them, but fools the listener with a mega-heavy grind at the beginning. By contrast, the semi-ballad 'Into the Fire' starts softly and gets heavier. Unfortunately, it falls by the wayside in terms of quality.

An exception in terms of melodious chorus is the furious 'Evil Empires'. Here, the thrash hammer reigns instead of the heavy/power guitar. By the way, this swirling song is, according to my intemperate opinion, the best piece the band has ever written. The jagged chorus with the subsequent "Hey! Hey!" shouts should not leave any fan of pure doctrine sitting still. Mystic Prophecy raises a storm of double bass, aggressive riffing and fast beats of the snare and after enjoying this (still halfway melodic) eruption the listener is astonished to realise that the roof of his house has just blown off. Well, what the hell, even in the fresh air you can enjoy the late highlights like the pithy and catchy 'Nightmares of Demons'. Poor demons, by the way, when they have such terrible nightmares. But that can't matter to us good boys. We just have fun with a disc produced according to the metallic purity law, which has nothing revolutionary, innovative or visionary, but nevertheless, or precisely because of that, makes it clear that there is nothing better to discover in the acoustic sector than metal. Hey! Hey!

Rating: 7.7 out of 10