But, for us old guys, we remember the music of the 60s. A music that delivered a politically charged message, one originating from the devastation of the Vietnam conflict, from a time when society was going through change, vast change, most of it very positive, at least in my opinion, and I spent a lot of time on the front lines, believe me. There hasn’t been much of that since then. We get a little here and there, Rage Against the Machine being the Cadillac of political discourse in the metal scene over the past several years. There have been others, Queensryche of course, being one of the more powerful, especially with their classic MindCrime. More recently, this site covered an American band, Cassandra Syndrome who presented some inspired political commentary. But there ain’t much, and at a time like this, that seems oddly lacking.

Well, Détente is political, with a long and disturbing history to go with their message. Their first CD, Recognize No Authority, was originally released in 1986, a blend of thrash and punk that saw significant airplay in California and Europe. This is hard-core music, think D.R.I., Corrosion Of Conformity, Legacy (Testament), Vio-lence, Megadeth, Dark Angel. But things went distinctly in the direction of the totally weird and absurd as the band road the winds of their highly acclaimed first release. Vocalist Dawn Crosby presented a style unique for the times and the message was equally unique. That message addressed topics ranging from the exploitation of women to the criminality of the Middle East wars. But, as is so often the case with these high-octane bands, the craziness caught up with them and things fell apart. The various members split, some moving to form other bands including Catalepsy and Dawn of God. But that didn’t slow down the burning dragons that had driven Détente. Crosby died in 1996 and there was little but memories to remind people of the greatness that had evolved from their sound and message.

However, in 2007 Recognize No Authority was re-released and the band found their way back into existence. Crosby was replaced originally by Ann Boleyn (Hellion) and the band hit the road, with much of the same fire and explosiveness as before. In 2009, Boleyn was replaced by current vocalist Tiina Teal and shortly thereafter the band hit the studios to work on the production under review here. And the parallels to the original are clear. It’s the same high-energy sound with a similar politically charged message, all belted out with a high voltage, guitar screaming, wailing motif. This ain’t no Dutch Gothic with a lovely operatic vocalist over a symphonic background talking about what happens after they turn out your lights and plant you in the ground. This message talks about putting THEM in the ground and stomping on it, then spitting on the fools who dared to oppose you. And it’s done with anger and malice aforethought. And us old timers say it’s about time.

Decline pulls no punches. The band has something to say and they get around to it immediately. In God We Trust has little to do with God and even less to do with Trust. Teal does that brand of hard core metal that is literally screamed, and the guitars of axe men Steve Hochheiser and Dennis Butler drive the sound with a riveting harshness and a pounding beat, the drums of Coleb Quinn double down and this all pervasive fury carries the message the way it was intended. And the message is equally harsh:

Somehow, I don’t get the feeling these folks are going to be invited to perform at the next Republican National Convention.

The music is relatively consistent, that is, it’s hard metal, about as hard as it gets. But you have to admire the guitar work, it’s what this type of music is all about. Teal’s vocals also follow a relatively consistent direction, one of fury and malicious intent. When the guitars are given an opportunity to shine, they do, these are top-flight musicians. But, it is the anger of the message that is the focus. These aren’t happy times, no matter what your political persuasion, and Détente is here to address the subject. They just don’t do it from the perspective of the Tea Parties. This is anger from the left, the anger that lead thousands to the streets in the 60s but which is sadly missing these days. And they name names, literally. The third song is Kill Rush, and I think you know which Rush we’re talking about. Again, the sound is hard, the driving vocals fly over the pounding guitars that introduce the number. Teal puts it on the line:

The message is addressed through a variety of topics, most of which are pertinent in a very contemporary way. But, occasionally, the anger subsides and a more regretful tone emerges. Teal doesn’t do a lot of soft, warm, fuzzy stuff. But Ashes is about as close as it gets. Here the sound is one of a darkness in despair, a being in reflection, but one who recognizes the position life has thrust upon it and who won’t go down quietly. The vocals are initially done in Spanish:

And tortured dreams they are. In fact, it’s a fitting metaphor for Decline, and maybe for our society. But, whether you agree or not, it’s sure fun to hear someone put these thoughts into a musical vehicle, one that pulses with emotion, one that throbs with anger, one that screams a message of illusion. Oh, and the guitar playing ain’t bad either.

8.5 / 10