Few albums illustrate the depths of despair and devastation as powerfully as Decrepisy’s Deific Mourning. In their second album, the Portland-based death-doom band hones its distinct style of suffocating and cavernous extremity, expanding upon the grotesque elements established in their debut, Emetic Communion, released in 2021. Decrepisy ventures further into the abyss this time, creating an environment filled with overwhelming dread and existential ruin. From the first notes of “Ceremony of Unbelief,” the intent of Deific Mourning is unmistakable: to obliterate, decay, and diminish any flicker of hope. The album’s production retains its predecessor’s murky, heavy feel. However, it achieves a more polished equilibrium, which allows each monstrous riff and anguished vocal wail to emerge from the oppressive mist. Unlike many contemporary death-doom bands that depend on cavernous reverb to disguise mediocre songwriting, Decrepisy commands its sonic weight with expertise, making every moment resonate with purpose and significance.

The title track, “Deific Mourning,” is a monumental reflection of their growth. The song features a funereal tempo and crushing guitar riffs, evoking a sense of cosmic futility. As the piece unfolds, it oscillates between punishing doom segments and frantic, chaotic riffing, reflecting the album’s overarching themes of suffering and spiritual decay. “Dysautonomic Terror” and “Spiritual Decay 1/4 Dead” explore the concepts of corporeal and metaphysical destruction even further. Here, Decrepisy makes death metal feel authentically oppressive—transcending mere velocity and brutality. The sluggish tempos, paired with grotesque, cavernous growls, create an experience that feels more like an invocation of anguish than a typical performance. With their suffocating arrangements and infected melodies, these tracks showcase the band’s ability to fuse the atmosphere of doom with the visceral impact of death metal.

A distinct highlight in the gradual descent of the album is “Severed Ephemerality.” Decrepisy displays a command of dynamics in this piece, building moments of eerie, almost ambient dissonance before crashing back into grotesquely heavy sounds. The unsettling lead work layered over massive, lumbering riffs evokes a sense of slow, unavoidable collapse. The instrumental composition “Corpseless” provides a fleeting, haunting, moment of reprieve. Despite not delivering any true consolation, it reinforces the album’s all-encompassing mood, acting as a brief funeral dirge before plunging further into darkness. “Afterhours” concludes the album appropriately bleakly, as the final blow to an already harrowing auditory journey.

Much of the success behind Deific Mourning can be attributed to its musicianship. Kyle House’s guitar performances offer a lesson in crafting sonic oppression with riffs moving like tectonic plates, burying listeners under layers of relentless distortion. Drummer Charlie Koryn provides a methodical and punishing backbone, ensuring that even the slowest sections carry an atmosphere of looming doom. Jonathan Quintana’s lead guitar delivers a spectral, wailing quality to the compositions. Meanwhile, guest contributions from D. G. Butler and Leila Abdul-Rauf (synthesizers, vocals) infuse haunting layers that elevate the oppressive atmosphere of the album. With Deific Mourning, Decrepisy has created far more than just an album—they have revealed a grotesque, decaying presence that surrounds the audience in its deterioration.