Pantheon from Arkansas are relatively new band in the US extreme metal underground scene, this being their second full length opus. But members of Pantheon are in no way new to the scene playing or having played in Empyrean, Genocide Winter, Epoch of Unlight and many more. This one contains 9 songs. The music is that American school of death metal with lots of black metal and thrash metal influences, I can hear Slayer influence in awesome ‘Man-Infestation’. There are blast beats, blistering thrash death solos and brutal growled death metal vocals. But, there are also some epic melodies on this one like in my favorite Absence of Light with that great main guitar melody and this time vocals are black metal screeching not growling. With songs like heavy hitters ‘Death Is In The Air’ or ‘Eviscerate Desecrate Cremate’ there is no mercy, no holds barred blackened death thrash metal and I am really happy having discovered this band. Right on good record.
Dead Sun released seventh album by the Swedish mastermind Rogga Johansson, who played, have been playing or is playing in too many famous bands and projects to mention here. For sure one of the most prolific musicians in Swedish underground metal scene. This opus contains ten songs of full blooded Swedish death metal, quite a good mixture of old school Stockholm Swedish death, with Entombed, Dismember and Grave coming to mind, but there is also melody reminding me a bit of all those great Gothenburg melodic death metal bands, namely At The Gates and especially Edge of Sanity, whose work I love and respect so much. One of the songs that are highlights on this opus for me is for sure ‘Sand and Rot’ being melodic death metal lesson, with almost some gothic influenced drumming and structure and having that atmospheric parts with synths and flutes if I am not mistaken, or maybe it is only synth. The album as a whole is epic lesson in melodic death metal with heavy hitters like ‘Tid For Jakt’, one of the two songs sung in Swedish, then ‘Mausoleum Melodies’ and the title song. Melodic death metal is my favorite death metal subgenre, so I love this one. Go listen!
Ablaze My Sorrow from Sweden were one of the first melodic Swedish death metal bands that I have listened to in the nineties with their opus ‘If Emotions Still Burn’. I was very happy to see that they are still active and releasing opuses, last two full lengths being in 2016 and 2021. This is brand new e.p. out with Black Lion Records. This one contains 4 songs and band now continues where it left off last couple of years. ‘Transfiguration(The Way Of The Strong)’ starts with fantastic clean vocals and atmospheric parts only to turn into full blooded melodic death metal like we are used to from these legends. ‘Boundless’ starts with synth intro and turns into my favorite song on this e.p. having such genial and memorable guitar main melody theme, not being too fast song, but hits you in the eye with its power nonetheless. I love how this band manages to mix almost sad and lonely dark vibe with all known aggression of death metal making me remember why I love Swedish death metal more than American school of death metal. Lyrics deal with inner battles, depression, suicide and misery, being something I can relate to last couple of years definitely. I must also mention ‘Rotten To The Core’, fastest and harshest song on this record, reminding me a lot of At The Gates in many parts, not being a clone, but as an influence. ‘Enclosed In The Crystals Of Ice’ ends this one like it should, icy, dark and melodic. Nice one, indeed!
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 