Angry Metal Guy

Cryptborn // Into the Grasp of the Starving Dead
Rating: 4.0/5.0 — Crusty songs about rotting corpses = fun!
Label: Dark Descent Records
Websites: myspace.com/cryptborn
Release Dates:  EU: 15.09.2011 | US: 09.15.2011

My oh my, more rancid, raw and caustic Swedish retro death, this time by way of Finland. Into the Grasp of the Starving Dead is the debut EP by Cryptborn and as with any proper Swedish retro death, it sounds as if it should have come out in 1990 along with the big releases from their obvious influences Entombed and Grave. It has that classic unrelentingly raw, buzzing guitar tone and vocals so low and phlegmy they almost rattle your speakers off the stands. Both Angry Metal Guy and myself have been eating up this particular trend while wondering when we would start to grow weary of it. While I can’t speak for AMG on this, I’m still enjoying it fully and most of the bands currently involved in this retro Swedish death wave are quite good.  Now you can count Cryptborn among those doing it right and doing it crusty, rancid justice. Although its an EP, you still get seven tracks worth of face peeling, zombie attacking, brutal goodness and it packs everything you could want from this style (except originality since its retro). Continue reading

Demonical // Death Infernal
Rating: 3.0/5.0 — A shepherd’s pie of retro Swedish death metal
Label: Cyclone Empire
Websites: demonical.net| myspace.com/thedemonicalhorde
Release Dates:  EU: 2011.04.15 | US: N/A

I’ve said it before and now please allow me to say it again. I love old school Swedish death metal. I think it was one of the best pure metal sounds and when done right, its like a little slice of hell on Earth. I recently sang the praises of Blood Mortized for doing the style enormous justice and now here comes Demonical, yet another Swedish retro death mob. Death Infernal is their third release and as with their prior material, it’s a full on love fest for all things Entombed, Dismember, Grave and Unleashed. Featuring members who did time in Grave, Interment and other SDM acts, these guys have been around the block and clearly know what they’re doing genre-wise. While there’s little to no originality on display here, that need not spell disaster if a band executes their chosen influences and style with skill and conviction. For the most part, Demonical manages to do just that and delivers some decent Swedish flavored death mayhem. While not not a perfect album, it’s solid, serviceable and at times pretty darn good. Continue reading

Blood Mortized // Bestial
Rating: 4.0/5.0 — Old school bestiality (Like fucking your family milk cow? – AMG)
Label: Nocturnal Blood Records
Websites: myspace.com/bloodmortized
Release Dates: Out!

Steel Druhm once loved the retro thrash wave and rode it for all it was worth (as he talked of himself in the third person). However, like all waves, trends and scenes, too much becomes too much. As my passion for that movement fades, I find myself quite eagerly embracing the retro Swedish death metal wave that seems to be gaining momentum. Interment and Entrails already have quality retro death metal albums out and now Blood Mortized is set to contribute more excellently time challenged carnage. Composed of vets of the Swedish extreme metal scene and including former members of Amon Amarth and Crypt of Kerberos, Blood Mortized‘s four track EP Beastial is a scabby, crusty slab of rotten and fetid death just like Entombed, Dismember and Grave used to make circa 1990-1992. Clearly inspired by the “Sunlight Studio” days of yore, these songs will take you back in time before the days of “melodic death metal” and “death with clean singing.” Yes, this is raw, filthy old school death and it sounds gory and glorious! Continue reading

Yet another great release that seemingly got missed by the metal press,the Entrails debut Tales From the Morgue (available on F.D.A. Rekotz) falls in the same oddball category as Interment’s debut from earlier this year. Both releases are by bands who were at ground zero of the Swedish death metal explosion in the early 90′s but failed to release anything beyond demos until now. As scene contemporaries of Entombed, Dismember and Grave, the Entrails sound and style sticks very close to those pioneered by the aforementioned leaders of the genre and Tales From the Morgue is composed of songs actually written in and around 1991-1992 or even earlier in some cases. Listeners will be greeted by the same fuzzed out, super distorted, down-tuned guitar sound heard on Entombed’s Left Hand Path or any of the Dismember platters. There is plenty of brutality, just enough groove and the vocals of Jocke Svensson are excellently grisly and guttural.  The major reason for the success here is the quality songwriting. Yeah, the songs are over 20 fucking years old but they’re very good and sound crusty, maggoty and filthy. At times this reminded me of really old Entombed and other times, Seance (circa Salt Rubbed Eyes) but they really do have a style of their own. Take for example the eerie and haunting solo work Entrails employs to break up the bludgeoning (see “Blood Red” and “Entrails”).  This gives the tracks an almost horror movie vibe and it fits perfectly. The production is a winner too and the raw and ugly sound stops just short of muting the music. And let’s hear it for the album cover! Simply classic.

If you love old school Swedish death metal and the newer bands that try to recreate it like Bloodbath or Death Breath, then this is an evil time capsule from 1992 you should unbury and check out. Enter the Entrails! EWWWWWWW.

Highlights: “Blood Red,” “Entrails” and “Euthanasia”

Interment // Into the Crypts of Blasphemy
Rating: 3.5/5.0 — Derivative of good, but still good.
Label: Pulverised Records
Websites: interment.se | myspace.com/intermenthorde
Release Dates: EU: 02.08.2010 | US: 08.31.2010

Here we go again. I have in front of me the new album Into the Crypts of Blasphemy by long, LONG time members of the old school Swedish death metal scene, Interment. These guys existed in the late 80’s/early 90’s alongside the forefathers of the genre like Entombed, Grave and Dismember, but other than a few demos and such, this is their first real release. So where are we going again exactly? Bear with me and all will be revealed. Continue reading