“Slaves” perfectly showcases TURBID NORTH‘s multi-dimensional attack: it churns and grinds furiously while all-powerful waves of doom swell under the surface. Turbid North’s unique sound owns the territory between the blasting mania of bands like Napalm Death and Pig Destroyer, the crushing weight of Crowbar, and the mournful, melodic glory of Pink Floyd.
No Clean Singing magazine states: “While this song is in many ways a perfect representation of what to expect from The Decline – a diverse, dynamic blend of grind-influenced death metal, prog-tinged doom, and hooky, swaggering sludge – it also barely scratches the surface of what the full record has to offer.”
The “Slaves” music video offers bleak images of a dystopian future, finally giving way to a glorious finalé in its last moments. Turbid North frontman Nick Forkel, who also created the video, states: “‘Slaves‘ is about being a prisoner of your own mind. We all create battles in our heads. The video is a direct homage to Blade Runner’s opening scene. That’s the vibe I was going for: Blade Runner meets Metropolis.”
Set within a sci-fi world, The Decline is rooted in real life struggles.
Forkel describes the concept: “It’s all part of one story. It’s a collection of songs that delves into the downfall and self-destruction of a person. I went through some personal things that spawned this idea. Real experiences influenced these songs, lyrically and musically. It’s darker and more personal for me than any other Turbid North record.”
Turbid North’s first new release in seven years, The Decline is a stunner of a comeback from this Alaska-born, Texas-based band. Vocalist/guitarist Forkel and the monstrous rhythm section of bassist Chris O’Toole (Unearth) and drummer Jono Garrett (Shock Withdrawal, Mos Generator) have honed their craft and delivered a new, transcendent piece of work that will go down as one of the crucial metal albums of 2023.
