ALBUM REVIEW: At The Gates, "The Nightmare of Being”

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 02/07/2021
Label: Century Media Records
 

 
“The Nightmare of Being” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. Spectre Of Extinction
2. The Paradox
3. The Nightmare Of Being
4. Garden Of Cyrus
5. Touched By The White Hands Of Death
6. The Fall Into Time
7. Cult Of Salvation
8. The Abstract Enthroned
9. Cosmic Pessimism
10. Eternal Winter Of Reason
 
The Review:
 
At The Gates are now on the third record of the second act- or permanent comeback, if you will. I’ll be honest and state that although I was initially pleased that the band returned and enjoyed “At War With Reality” seven years ago... I haven't returned to it since. Witnessing the band live didn't really change my perspective on the band; they were good, tight, professional and all that but the band and the material seemed to lack something.
 
It is a damning indictment that I have not even heard “To Drink From The Night Itself”. Well, regardless of my misgivings about the band's last seven years, they are still here and they are still forging forward. I would also like to clarify that I rate “Slaughter of the Soul” as one of the best metal albums ever- not just death metal; all metal. It was and is an incredible album- made by young men in a very different time. The songs, the hooks, the production- it all coalesced into a superb record. A classic, in fact.
 
“The Nightmare of Being”, then, occupies an odd space. It is the third second-act album, so no resting on comeback goodwill is to be had. The good news is, it's different, progressive in places. The song writing is tight and focused, a 45min playing time indicates that would be the case. The loss of Anders Bjorler has left his twin Jonas remaining to do the heavy lifting with the song writing- not so much of a problem, as it turns out.
 
I loved The Haunted's albums with Marco Aro on vocals- that straightforward thrash, close to death metal, even- suited me well at the time, but it was by no means ATG pt 2 and the Bjorlers were not the main or only songwriters. “The Nightmare of Being” is not close to that band- this is philosophical in theme, gloomy in outlook and surprisingly textured. There is saxophone on “Garden of Cyrus”, there is piano elsewhere. There is even a string quartet- bizarre, but true. When Ihsahn incorporated such elements in his solo work it was a huge surprise, and to be fair it is a pretty big surprise here, all these years later.
 
Make no mistake, though, this is a death metal album at its core- from the acoustic intro to the weight elsewhere on opener “Spectre of Extinction”, to the thrashy “The Paradox” it is metal. Yes, there are of course echoes of “SotS” in the changes and tempos, but Tompa's voice has dropped down a little and is a more measured bark these days. There are moodier moments throughout the record- it's sombre and dark and the instrumental passages shimmer and ripple like a muddy pool under the moonlight.
 
At ten tracks, the length and pace is right and the sound is great. How to rate this, then? It's tough as there is nothing wrong with any of this- it is pretty bold of a band like At The Gates who could easily just rest on their 1995 laurels forever to be making fairly experimental records. As such, this is the better of the two comeback albums I have heard- by far. It's totally solid, none of the extra elements feel forced and the songs are good. This is, for me, a solid seven out of ten type album- so not flawed genius and some filler and not bubbling under what was expected either. It's just... good.
 
Whether any of this is what you want from At The Gates, only you can decide. I applaud the band for spreading their wings and this is exactly the record they need to make at this stage, I think. A surprise, in a good way.
 
“The Nightmare of Being” is available now 

Band info: facebook || Official

ALBUM REVIEW: The Crown, "Royal Destroyer"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 12/03/2021
Label: Metal Blade Records

 
“Royal Destroyer” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1). Baptized in Violence
2). Let the Hammering Begin!
3). Motordeath
4). Ultra Faust
5). Glorious Hades
6). Full Metal Justice
7). Scandinavian Satan
8). Devoid of Light
9). We Drift On
10). Beyond The Frail
11). Absolute Monarchy
 
The Review:
 
Ok, so the tracklist on the info sheet does not match how the files store in my media player- or on the band's Wikipedia entry... so track by track is out of the question here. However, information issues aside, what you really need to know is that this RIPS!
 
The Crown are Scandinavian and play, officially, melodic death metal. Don't expect the Gothenburg sound of In Flames on their later records though- this is feral and vicious. There are blast beats, thrash passages, solos and plenty of nasty noise.
 
You can pretty much pick out any track (running order be damned!) and enjoy- if you like Swe-Death. Advance track “Motordeath” is as good as any at a summing up- fast and furious with a huge dose of adrenaline. There is a surprising amount of depth over the course of the tracks here- “Ultra Faust” is dynamic and develops across its running time and elsewhere there is no shortage of slower pacing and, yes, melodic guitars. The song titles are uniformly excellent (“Full Metal Justice”! “Baptized In Violence”!) and there are nice touches that keep things interesting- things like the cowbell at the start (and later on) of “Scandinavian Satan” and the helter skelter riffage contained therein.
 
The record, overall, is a good mix of Entombed, Motorhead, The Haunted and even structural echoes of the best American thrash. There are no bad tracks, the production is great and you get ten tracks of high quality Scandinavian death metal. There is a lot to like here and I would urge all fans of the genre to give it a go- it's an engaging and weighty listen, without descending into dissonance or mindless blasting. Top quality death metal.
 
“Royal Destroyer” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

REVIEW: Six of Swords, “Regime Decay” EP

By: Richard Maw


Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 19/10/2018

Label: Independent

This record is wedded to the corpse of early to mid 90's old school DM and is all the better for it

“Regime Decay” CD//DD track listing:

1). Eye for an Eye

2). No Amnesia

3). Malodorous

4). Hunted

5). Hells Messiah

6). Hedonistic Gluttony

The Review

Six of Swords, Canada's finest death metal troupe, return with this beastly collection of six prime cuts. “Polar Vortex” was an EP release that ran surprisingly hot, reviewed on the blog a few years ago. This record has taken all elements present there and ratcheted them up a notch. 

Once again, the production is clear and powerful and the opener “Eye for an Eye” demonstrates that there is more to the band than out and out speed. The main refrain is straight out of the classic Morbid Angel playbook and the band keep things reined in tight- the expected blast never comes and instead this track is a crawling wretched beast. “No Amnesia” changes gear but not style- very pleasingly, this record is wedded to the corpse of early to mid 90's old school DM and is all the better for it.

Once again, the vocals alternate a little with lows as the main course and highs as the extra. “Malodorous” is a fetid exhalation of doomy breath, but the band also switches up to much faster pacing here as well. Excellent lead work and unexpected dynamics come up for air here too- great track. “Hunted” continues the tar-thick vibes and brings with it an Entombed-esque rhythmic approach.

“Hells Messiah” and “Hedonistic Gluttony” continue with some Euro/Swe-Death flourishes and it is clear that SOS have built upon the great “Polar Vortex” to hone and expand their sound. There are some great riffs here, some great leads, an excellent production and nothing that goes too over the top- no endless blasting, no pointless tracks that go nowhere. This is a focused and lean release that I heartily recommend to fans of any band mentioned in this review.

“Regime Decay” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Entrails - “World Inferno”

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 16/06/2017

Label: Metal Blade Records

I can't find any fault with this album from intense opener to epic closer of “The Blood Breed”, the band don't put a foot wrong. This is raging death metal, plain and simple

“World Inferno” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. World Inferno
2. Condemned to the Grave
3. Serial Murder (Death Squad)
4. The Soul Collector
5. Dead and Buried
6. Insane Slaughter
7. Into Eternal Fire
8. Suffer
9. The Hour of the Casket
10. The Blood Breed

The Review:

Hot on the heels of the latest Paganizer album comes this absolute treat of Swe-death from the 100% reliable Entrails. This is raging death metal, plain and simple. If last outing “Obliteration” was finely crafted and even a little (just a little) restrained in places, this is feral and completely unfettered by any kind of restraint.

That's not to say that there aren't songs here, there most certainly are. The title track opener is catchy and perfectly honed in terms of riffs and hooks. That Boss HM-2 sound is firmly present and correct. Sound wise, this perhaps harks back to “Raging Death” more than “Obliteration” as it features bludgeoning drums, chainsaw guitars and distorted bass of monumentally gnarly proportions. Once again, there are no weak tracks here; “Condemned to the Grave” is a chugging beast that offers a slight change of pace, while elsewhere there are genuinely catchy moments in “Serial Murder (Death Squad)” with its echoes of ATG in the riffage, neck snapping rhythms on “Dead and Buried” and outright carnage on “Insane Slaughter” after the atmospheric intro.

There are slower stomping moments here and there and the band can swing when it wants to; “The Soul Collector” and “Into Internal Fire” are both fine examples. All tracks are focused and none stray below three and a half minutes or beyond six. Always exponents of thrash pacing and mid tempos rather than insane blasts, Entrails can concentrate nicely on the songs and vibe instead of out and out speed- refreshingly old school to my ears.

Of course, the shadows of Entombed and Dismember are ever present, but so what? If you are going to operate in a sub-genre, only the best references are relevant. The likes of “Suffer” would slot perfectly onto anything great recorded by the aforementioned bands. Honestly, I can't find any fault with this album from intense opener to epic closer of “The Blood Breed”, the band don't put a foot wrong. Between Paganizer and Entrails, we are being spoilt by the quality of Swedish death metal right now. Buy both records and head bang non-stop.

“World Inferno” is available now

Band info: facebook

FFO: Entombed, Grave, Dismember, Paganizer

ALBUM REVIEW: Paganizer - "Land of Weeping Souls"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 05/08/2017

Label: Transcending Obscurity

Rogga Johansson shows no sign of letting up at all; another album, another line up, another master class in Swedish death metal. This is absolutely business as usual for Paganizer, possibly the finest and purest exponents of this type of metal around. Highly recommended.

“Land of Weeping Souls” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Your Suffering Will Be Legendary

2). Dehumanized

3). Forlorn Dreams

4). Land of Weeping Souls

5). The Insanity Never Stops

6). Selfdestructor

7). Death Addicts Posthumous

8). The Buried Undead

9). Soulless Feeding Machine

10). Prey to Death

The Review:

Paganizer return with this first full length since 2013. This pleases me immensely, as they have been consistent purveyors of the finest Swedish Death Metal for close to twenty years. This record does not disappoint at all. After the exhaustively excellent “Twenty Years In A Terminal Grip” best of and the superb “On The Outskirts of Hades” EP, I thought the band were going to deliver.

Sure enough, they have. Impressively. You get rolling blasts, thrash pacing, chainsaw riffing and reassuringly deathly vocals, and all that in opener “Your Suffering Will Be Legendary”! The band don't put a foot wrong over the course of these ten tracks; “Dehumanized” is as dark as it is pacey, rolling bass drums are a feature of “Forlorn Dreams”, the lead work is fantastic throughout, the sound is great and vicious.

Truly, Paganizer are still at the top of their game and are as devastating as ever. What shines through on the album is the song writing. Paganizer know how to write great death metal and also to make some oddly catchy hooks here and there, to go with surprisingly catchy riffs. The title track is an effective demonstration of the band's power, while “The Insanity Never Sleeps” has got everything any fan of real Swe-death could want- including the sound of a gun being cocked (essential to a death metal album).

The latter half of the album is just as intense and just as gnarly; “Selfdestructor” allows for a slithering opening riff before more choppy fair comes in. There is no let up through the remaining four tracks, either; “Death Addicts Posthumous” is thrashy stuff and “The Buried Undead” is very deathly indeed (kind of like Bolt Thrower, but sped up a little). “Soulless Feeding Machine” and “Prey To Death” deliver two sharp shots of death  to finish this impressive set.

Rogga Johansson shows no sign of letting up at all; another album, another line up, another master class in Swedish death metal. This is absolutely business as usual for Paganizer, possibly the finest and purest exponents of this type of metal around. Highly recommended.

“Land of Weeping Souls” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

FFO: Grave, Down Among The Dead Men, Ribspreader, Entrails

The Sludgelord Song Premiere - "Adjacent to Purgatory" by Paganizer

 

 

Paganizer are one of the finest exponents of Swe-death and are set to return with a four track blast of nastiness, entitled “On The Outskirts of Hades” on August 1^st 2016. Opener “Angry All The Time” doesn't tear out of the gate, but rest assured that after the doomy intro the band pick up the pace and rip things up.

 

Although Dismember are gone, it is immensely gratifying to hear bands like Paganizer and Entrails carrying the torch. Certainly, this four track EP is an excellent taster for what the band is all about and is certainly for fans of the REAL Swedish death metal sound. It is doomy and feral with the right amount of grit in the sound to make the fast and slow sections work effectively.  

 

Track such as “The Netherworld Carnivale” is not a million miles away from Asphyx and is a great example of what Paganizer can do. The title track of the EP closes things in some style- a malevolent riff kicking things off and then the verses locking in effectively.

 

For anyone wanting some Swedish death metal in the traditional style, Paganizer is a band to check out. Their name may not have the gravitas of Entombed or Dismember, but they are operating in the same theatre- and doing so viciously.

 

Today at The Sludgelord, it gives us great pleasure to share a brand new track.  “Adjacent to Purgatory”, which brings an intensity that has not been matched by some of the bigger names in the genre,  check it out and beware it might just tear your soul apart.   

“On The Outskirts of Hades” is available here and here (digital). It be officially released August 1^st via Transcending Obscurity Records

 

 

“On The Outskirts of Hades” CD//DD track list:
1. Angry all the Time
2. Adjacent to Purgatory
3. The Netherworld Carnivale
4. On the Outskirts of Hades

 

Band info: Facebook

Grave - 'Out of Respect For the Dead' (Album Review)

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 16/10/2015

Label: Century Media Records

…there are no surprises, but what you get is one of the best Swedish death metal bands playing some of the best Swedish death metal around. Really, that should be more then enough. Sure, some people will always just stick on “Like an Everflowing Stream” again and again, but they are missing out on some superb modern death, of which this album is right up there.

‘Out of Respect For the Dead’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Intro / Mass Grave Mass

02. Flesh Before My Eyes

03. Plain Pine Box

04. Out Of Respect For The Dead

05. The Ominous “They”

06. Redeemed Through Hate

07. Deified

08. Trail Of Ungodly Trades

09. Grotesque Glory

CD 2 (only included in the ltd. CD box set)

01. Venial Sin *

02. Morbid Ascent *

03. Possessed (Satyricon) *

04. Epos (Risen From The Tomb Mix) *

05. Reality Of Life (New version) *

* (originally released 2013 on the “Morbid Ascent” EP)

Grave is:

Ola Lindgren | vocals, guitar

Ronnie Bergerståhl | drums

Tobias Cristiansson | bass

Mika Langrén | guitar

The Review:

Well, with Entombed now a farcical parody and Dismember gone to the great gig in the cemetery, Grave remain the oldest old schoolers in the world of Swedish death metal. The question is, what have they got left in the tank? Some death metal acts are consistent (Vader) some are up and down (Entombed) and some are consistently OK, but never really get to the heights they threaten to. I will leave you to your own opinion of Grave's career, but never let it be said that these Swedes are anything less than seminal in their chosen field. Since their timely reformation in 2002 they haven't put a foot wrong and simply continue to plough their furrow of death metal, now shorn of all death and roll elements that came in during the 90's.

So what have Grave given us this time around? It won't surprise you to learn that there is sinister atmosphere from the opening track; there is then a frenzy of thrashing old school death. It is all rough and ready drums, bassy undertow and the expected feral guitar sound. There are slower sections, as Grave have never been a band afraid to mix in doom elements, and of course lots of thrash tempos.

It would be completely misleading to suggest that this album is a progression or departure of any kind. This is high quality Swedish death metal, end of. The likes of ‘Flesh Before My Eyes’ could have appeared on any death metal album since 1990- and I say that as a very positive thing. ‘Plain Pine Box’ is classic death metal with a doom feel- the subject matter hits the nail on the head (no pun intended!) and shows the band are still true to the original blueprint. The title track is of similar high quality- lots of dragging doom to be found in there too.

As per with Grave, some tracks are faster, some slower, but all are crushing. Yes, there isn't much in the way of variety per se, but the overall effect is very convincing. ‘The Ominous “They” is another head nodding delight. Consistency is a key ingredient with this record- most songs (barring the monster closer) are somewhere around the four or five minute mark. ‘Redeemed Through Hate’ is a Rager, for sure, keeping the pedal to the metal effectively and showcasing the excellent trait of Swe-death that involves pacey thrash rhythms without ever slipping over into the endless blasting so beloved of their American counterparts.

‘Deified’ is a superb track; all dramatic riffs and blinding hatred. Fantastic stuff. With only two tracks to go, the album begins its descent towards conclusion. Don't feel short changed, though. ‘Trail of Ungodly Trades’ is suitably feral, while the majesty of ‘Grotesque Glory’ ensures that at nine and a half minutes plus, the band gets to play low and slow and shift through the gears only towards the end, offering up a wholly satisfying platter of death metal delight.

As noted earlier, there are no surprises, but what you get is one of the best Swedish death metal bands playing some of the best Swedish death metal around. Really, that should be more then enough. Sure, some people will always just stick on “Like an Everflowing Stream” again and again, but they are missing out on some superb modern death, of which this album is right up there.

‘Out of Respect For the Dead’ is available here

FFO: Dismember, Entombed, Bolt Thrower, Asphyx

Band info: facebook |twitter

Bastard Grave - ‘What Lies Beyond’ (Album Review)

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 30/10/2015

Label: Pulverised Records

From the opening of ‘From The Depths’, you know exactly what you are getting; feral death with a punk sensibility. This continues right the way through the album, I am pleased to say. Each song fits nicely with all the others.  No melodies here; straight forward Entombed/Dismember/Grave worship- chainsaw guitars, meaty but rough and ready drums and that bass sound you love are all present and correct.  For fans of all the bands noted along with Entrails and any other sons of Northern darkness you care to name. Ripping stuff!

‘What Lies Beyond’ CD//DD track listing:

1. From The Depths
2. Doomed To Stay
3. Awaiting Rebirth
4. Stalker
5. Path To Extinction
6. Bastard Grave
7. Reborn In Filth
8. River Of Death
9. Misery
10. Profana Vesperam

The Review:

Interested in Swedish death metal? Excellent. Want to hear some more Swedish death metal? Fortunate then, that we have here some Swedish death metal. No melodies here; straight forward Entombed/Dismember/Grave worship- chainsaw guitars, meaty but rough and ready drums and that bass sound you love are all present and correct.

From the opening of ‘From The Depths’, you know exactly what you are getting; feral death with a punk sensibility. This continues right the way through the album, I am pleased to say. Each song fits nicely with all the others. There are some quicker than others, some which use slightly different rhythms, but basically you know where you stand throughout. The song lengths are not as short as you might expect; both the aforementioned opener and the closing of ‘Profana Vesperam’ are over five and six minutes respectively. Tracks such as ‘Stalker’ provide a more predictable short sharp shock and the quality of the album lies in its familiarity. It is genre based and executed flawlessly.

For fans of all the bands noted along with Entrails and any other sons of Northern darkness you care to name. Ripping stuff!

FFO: Entombed, Dismember, Black Breath, Swedish Death Metal, etc!

Band info: bandcamp | facebook

Entrails - 'Obliteraton' (Album Review)

Album Type: Full-Length

Date Released: 19/05/2015

Label: Metal Blade Records

‘Obliteration’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. No Cross Left Unturned
2. Epitome of Death
3. Beyond the Flesh
4. The Grotesque
5. Obliterate
6. Skulls
7. Midnight Coffin
8. Bonestorm
9. Abyss of Corpses
10. Re-Animation of the Dead

Entrails are:

Joakim Svensson | Vocals/Bass
Jimmy Lundqvist | Guitars
Pontus Samuelsson | Guitars
Adde Mitroulis | Drums

Review:

Swedish death metal of the highest quality. That pretty much sums up this raging release of true death, but let's also look a little further...

From the ominous tolling bell intro to the last track, this is a release that is the epitome of Swe-Death. The excellent “No Cross Left Unturned” is a rager- blast beats, thrash beats, throat shredding in the Petrov style; all the ingredients are here. The production is stellar too- chainsaw guitars are present and correct the drums pound with an old school sensibility and the bass has that gritty rumble that it should have. Seriously, if this had been released back in 1991 it would have been an instant classic. As it is, it is two and a half decades on, but can still be held up as a classic of the Swedish death metal genre.

The very aptly named “Epitome of Death” is another aural feast. The pace starts at Bolt Thrower speed but things pick up for a truly killer chorus. The riffs stick in your head, the lyrics do too; the whole thing is an exercise in how to make extreme music that is listenable. The album continues with thrashing death such as “Beyond The Flesh”, mid paced filth such as “The Grotesque” and the more thrashy title track. There is lumbering  and mid paced death/doom in such tracks as “Skulls” to go along with the more neck snapping moments. “Midnight Coffin” is a fine example of the slow start, faster verse/half time memorable chorus and so on. It is a fine example of good song writing with knowing nods to what has gone before.

“Bonestorm” and “Abyss of Corpses” keep things weighty and death obsessed. Although the latter is very quick in places, I noticed that there are not that many out and out moments of speed on this record- the mid pace or thrash tempos that are often used by the band work extremely well and again highlight the fact that fast does not always equal heavy. Certainly, it does not often equal original or memorable. “Re-animation of the Dead” closes this very strong release in some style. Essentially, Entrails have produced an excellent metal record here. It is certainly the best death metal album I have heard this year and one that made me play it through again immediately after my first listen. That doesn't happen with death metal to often- particularly as some records are a trial to even get through in one sitting.

Entrails offer up riffs, style and atmosphere in spades. They also offer up song writing that is excellent and not often equalled in this genre. If you wish Entombed were still around in the form that they were in 1992, or yearn for a Dismember reformation then this album is a must. Hell, if you even once played Slaughter of The Soul and quite liked it then you should check this record out. It's superb.

Words by: Richard Maw

‘Obliteration’ is available here

For more information:

Like: http://www.facebook.com/Entrails666