Through his July 31 debut album “Decay Decay Decay,” Joyeria turns an existential period fueled by physical pain into agony-projecting tracks that confront three forms of ruin.
The 10-track project, only available outside of streaming platforms, is an exploration of a deep realisation the frontman Joy faced while recovering from a dislocated shoulder. “I saw three faces of ruin: the body’s failure, the world’s erosion, and the mind’s slide into atrophy.”
It’s an experimental punk staple catered to seasoned listeners, with introductory bits for new genre explorers sprinkled in.
“Duller Grey” immediately cements the album’s stylistic attributes. Dissonance creeps in via an eerie hum before Joy’s emotion-forward vocals join and promptly drown in the track’s layers. Each instrument gets a distinct-yet-complementary line; the resulting composition offers brightness, blends of complex percussion, and a bassline with a dominating quality expected from a higher-toned instrument.
“New Way” follows as an early standout focused on world and mental atrophy. The song begins with lower-octave vocals and a guitar following their melodic flow, dragging behind phrases like, “anybody found a new way to get out of bed?” These crawls develop into gritty, powerful punk waves. Despite thick distortion and smashing cymbals, messages like “film everything” and “here is the way to do it and this way is best” come through clearly.
The third song feels like a brief, self-aware flow break that touches on the messiness of humanity. The brighter vocals in “The Curse” frame a self-deprecating verse that gradually morphs into social observation. The unnerving, fluttering, and computer-free mechanical backdrop feels out of place even though it’s dressing up a previously introduced sound.
This brief return to stylistic form is short-lived, a runway straight into “The Donkey.” This over nine-minute centrepiece questions whether people have a choice between a life of trials or simple joys, or if hardship is chosen for them and hidden by distractions.
Joy’s vocals have a hushed quality, like he is awkwardly looming near the listener while instruments pick in the distance. Then, improv and a sequence of complete sound switches take over, featuring splashes of percussion and daring rhythmic lines. The overall sound feels rooted in experimentation designed to dazzle, but its sparkle leads to fatigue once the unexpected twists settle halfway through.
These 180s continue into “Back In The U.K.K.K.,” a break-up song that directs “this place is a prison” energy at the modern world. Vocal distress, a mocking tone, and a compelling keyboard drive define this overall simple track.
“Winner” reverts to previous musical elements that likely hint at Joyeria’s general style. It’s full of scattered elements and pops of intrigue, like a marching cadence opener, that obscure its contradictory “life as a loser” perspective. The wall of sound before the chorus is easy and pleasant to get lost in; however, aside from repetitions of “There’s a winner comin’ ‘round,” the track’s distorted vocals and lush layers warp its messaging.
The sarcasm prevails in “Nothing’s Wrong,” which offers more of the same eerie machinery and shrieking synth. A melodic guitar line and futuristic sound effect straight from an ‘80s movie maintain attention as Joy sarcastically whines, “nothing’s ever wrong.”
The instrument feedback noises pause to welcome bouncy bass lines and measured guitar phrases in “Damn!” The song features pointed commentary through lyrical minimalism. Joy’s full range of emotional vocals is on display, full of low dips and bright spoken social jabs.
Throughout the album, structured moments sit within an organised chaos feel; “Recent Discovery” has more structure and a noticeably sculpted sound. The pre-chorus’ melodic descent is memorable, but the track lacks the needed intensity that only kicks in at the end.
The album closes with “No,” which takes on the same established style in its verses but breaks into choruses full of defiance. High synth notes run in the background of each verse, and upon hearing Joy’s vocals drop an octave for the titular “no,” intense squeaks and sharp sounds flood the rest of the chorus in an almost scream-like way.
“Decay Decay Decay” is strong in adherence to a raw and bleak theme, expressed in everything from its jarring sound inclusions to Joy’s melodramatic-meets-slam-poetry vocals. Commentary quips and percussive skill define the project’s appeal, which would be minimal if it relied solely on an eclectic melody and often inaudible vocals. It’s an overall expressive, far-from-casual listen with intentionally flawed punk sensibilities, most suitable for avid genre enjoyers.
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