Words and Photos: Johnny
About 18 months ago, I popped along to the Salty Dog pub in Northwich to see a few bands, one of which was Decibel, having not seen them before, I was waiting with baited breath as to what they were like. I had read up on them, seen a couple of YouTube vids etc, and thought, yeah these are ok. As is the norm, seeing live bands, especially for the first time, is somewhat different to seeing vids and reading what others say about them. Generally speaking, ya can’t get a real feel without experiencing a set in person. And this was the case in this instance.
It became quite clear from the first track, that this was 3 fellers who knew exactly what they were doing. No frills, no fancy stage outfits or any glitz that many bands use. Without making this a gig review, I just wanna set the tone for the album. Musically spot on, with a goth and 70’s rock vibe, deep harmonic vocals with a bass line to match. A band ya just wanna see again and again, with their almost hypnotic style.
Anyway, before I totally digress, here we go.
Wearing a Mask: So many different ways to interpret these lyrics, for me, it’s about the mask we all sometimes wear to block out the bullshit of modern-day life, hiding behind the “mask” to escape the 100-mph pace set by today’s society and their standards. A delicious bass line all the way through, outlining the deeper darker side of our psyche.
Visitor: We are all visitors to this place, a short time spent living on this planet, but to what end. Often running away from what was keeping you down, getting away to a different place and becoming “nailed down”. Always looking for a better life in this ever-expanding world, unsure at times if we should break the mould and move on, to live and accept what or who you are. “time to redesign, time to break the line” and “swim against the tide”.
Suspicious!: The demon that is mental ill health, the constant feeling of being watched, followed, be it by another or your own imaginations. The feeling of low or missing self-worth, unsure where to turn or indeed how to approach and defeat your own darkness in an ever changing and demanding society…………………forever “seeking silence” for a quiet life.
The Well Dressed Man: They walk amongst us. Not knowing who is standing next to you, sitting across from you on the train, the bus. Irrespective of how they “dress”, how they outwardly appear. Are they good, bad indifferent. Yet occasionally, we feel something “doesn’t add up”. That little pang of doubt in the back of your mind, tells us that something isn’t quite right. Interesting lyrics I have to say, as I love to people watch, often wondering what their stories are.
Object: How often do we just walk past, or enter a building, a space anywhere where this an object and just think about the experiences that object has endured or seen over the years. Imagine for a moment if it could talk or communicate, the stories it could tell, the lies it could counter, the truths it could reveal. We are surrounded by “things”, but do we really look at them, understand its meaning, its use, its life. The same could be said for people, as was in the previous song “the well dressed man”. Time to stop and think about what is enveloping us, to understand and to appreciate.
Wiped Out: The first thing that sprang to mind listening to these words was homelessness. One minute you’re living the life, roof over ya head, food on the table, family, friends and a life. Then all of a sudden, due to circumstances beyond your control, it’s gone. And here you are, not in that dark position, looking at out at those afflicted many on the streets in a country that is supposed to be first world economy. The lyric “you’re a lucky one, a lucky one” is a bit of a cliché to be honest, many of us work to have what we have, luck doesn’t always come into it, yet we feel lucky for what we have earnt. The others are the unlucky ones, unless self-inflicted. I think the message here, is to be kind to those less fortunate, that’s how I see it anyway.
Brick Wall: The terrifying reality of self-harm and suicidal ideations. The feeling of utter despair taking you to the limit of endurance. Mental ill health rearing its dark ugly head once more. Unable to cope with the reality of life, not knowing where to turn, who to speak to, or more importantly what words to use. “mouth is shut, unable to speak, words racing in your head with no end in sight”. If this is you, speak out, scream it, use someone to express your fears. Don’t let the “brick wall” win, smash that fucker and pull through to the light.
Returning to Strength: Following on from “brick wall”, finally breaking through, “your strength returning”, what to do now, make the right decisions for you. “stung by a vicious tongue” by someone or thing that you now know to be less important than you, realising you have value, but still wanting to know how you ended up like this, and “when did you slide into the pit”
Worker Walking: A metaphoric lyric, returning to work, maybe not literally, but working at being a person again, the expectation of others that you are now ok, or at the very least a better version of what you once were. “worker walking to work” or “being whole again”.
Quietude: An apt epitaph to this album, an acceptance and knowing that all can be well. The quietness of the mind, the dark noise disappears. The sound of nature once excluded, now back in the frame. The feeling of contentment as “the birds sing their song” of serene existence and peace.
There ya go, an often dark and melancholic piece work with a message of hope thrown in. as I have stated earlier, this is a heavy bass line inspired album, huge overtones of late 70s’ early goth rock influences from Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus and Killing Joke, but I have to stress, a unique sound from the lads, with their own slant on music.
D E C I B E L are Darren Brown vocal & guitar, Pete Carruthers bass, Tim Kinch drums.
All songs written by Brown/Carruthers/Kinch.
The album was recorded and mixed by sound engineer Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse Studio in Haggerston, East London on 15th & 16th September 2025.
Mastering engineer Chris Goosman at Baseline Audio Labs in Michigan.