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 80s/early 90s 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.
Interment is the perfect band to illustrate the root difference in musical world views between your humble Steelness and my esteemed editor, Angry Metal Guy (AMG for short) and by extension, many of you readers. You see, Interment cannot be called original in any sense whatsoever. They play paint by numbers Swedish death metal and sound a lot like the classic albums from Grave and Entombed. Further, Into the Crypts sounds as if it could have been released in 90 or 91 right alongside Left Hand Path or Into the Grave. In fact, musically speaking, there isn’t a trace of anything here the least bit “modern.” In that sense, I suppose it’s unoriginal and also retro. Being a longtime fan of the old Swedish death style, as long as the songs are well done and exciting, I will usually like it and am unfazed by the lack of originality. However, for those that demand at least a modicum of originality in music, as AMG has traditionally done, this album may displease due to it’s admittedly derivative nature, regardless of overall quality. While neither view is necessarily correct, your individual take on Into the Crypts will be colored by where you land on the spectrum between these views. But, enough of this digression, let’s get on with the dissection.
Into the Crypts gives you eight original tracks (yes, I mean original for them) and a cover of the classic Kreator track “The Pestilence.” The original tracks are all dead ringers for early Grave and Entombed. From the classic Swedish de-tuned guitar tone, to the D-beat style of death gallop and the low-register death gurgles, you know exactly what to expect and there are no surprises. While you have most definitely heard it before, Interment have been around the block and know how to make this style work effectively. The vocals of Johan Jansson are very well done and sound like they were lifted off Left Hand Path. The riffs from Jansson and John Forsberg are pretty well constructed and vary from aggressive to eerie and do the job of propelling the songs along in a deathly fury. Most of the tracks are fast paced thrashers with only sporadic moments of mid paced or slow grinding and all are short, running between three and five minutes each. Every song is worthwhile with no duds and the highlights include “Torn From the Grave,” “Where Death Will Increase,” and my personal favorite “Sacrificial Torment.” The production is raw, simple and sounds right out of 91, intentionally or not, further entrenching Into the Crypts into the retro mode of old school Swedish death.
In the end, if you love the classic sound and style of Grave and Entombed, then it would seem Into the Crypts is a no-brainer for you and nearly impossible to dislike. If however, you seek something new, original or cutting edge, there is nothing interred here worth examining. This is 100% derivative but well done 1990s Swedish death, no frills and no nonsense. While I would caution not to miss out on some quality death due to a lack of innovation, to each their own, take it or leave it. But remember, they can’t all be Amorphis.
