“Swedish war mongers Just Before Dawn are back once again to weave bloody tales of man’s inhumanity to man through their tried-and-true variant of doomy death metal. The Bolt Thower influences are never far from their chosen sound and style and after four full-lengths and several EPs, including last year’s Battle-Sight Zeroing, Just Before Dawn have done all they could to fill the massive crater left by the beloved U.K. fighting unit and battle buddies Hail of Bullets.” War is forever.
“The name “Rotpit” stood out in the promo sump like an elephant turd in a kid’s wading pool. Impossible to miss and difficult to ignore, it begged critical questions. Is rotpit just another name for a grave, or is it something way more…rotten? Could it be a compost heap? Is this some kind of Earth-first green death metal? Steel doesn’t have all the answers, but he did learn that Rotpit is a side-project by current and former members of Heads of the Dead, Wombbath, Just Before Dawn, and Revel in Flesh.” 40 Rot Sun O))).
“Formed by two members of Finnish death metal act, Decaying, Desolate Realm is an old school trve metal project firmly rooted in the classic sword and sandals style. Their self-titled 2021 debut was quite the pleasant surprise and made its way onto my year-end list with its strident, uber-macho blend of Manowar, The Gates of Slumber, Argus, and Visigoth. It was riff-forward, burly, beefy stuff that made my back hair angry and I still return to it when I need a good kick in the ass plate. 2023 sees the project’s twosome return to our realm with sophomore entry, Legions, and little has changed with their battle plan.” Realm whelmed.
“It’s nearly Christmas and for many folks that means thoughts turn to gifts, eggnog, and goodwill toward mankind. But Just Before Dawn want to use this holly, jolly time of year to remind us that war is Hell and man cannot stop killing his fellow man. What better way to do that than with a mini-album centered thematically on the Vietnam conflict?” War for breakfast.
“I’ve enjoyed my share of nasty, greasy death metal this year, and in the preceding 11 months when genre favorites like doom have been poorly represented, it’s been death that kept reliably turning my crank. As we enter the dreaded dead zone of November and December when promos are scant and generally sub-par, I hedged my bets by hoarding as much death as I could cram into my iron sump skimmer of bestial inwasion. One of the death nuggets stuffed unceremoniously in the junk truck was Carnal Savagery’s fourth full-length, Worm Eaten.” Compost pokery.
Earlier this year, I talked about the void left behind in Bolt Thrower’s absence. I mentioned a few bands who are successfully filling a bit of said void by name and alluded to a few more. The Netherlands’ Graceless is one of the latter. Back in 2020, they stormed my gates, dropping one of my favorite death metal platters of that year and earning a spot on my Honorable Mention roster with Where Vultures Know Your Name. They did so not by innovating the genre or adding some new twist to an already tried-and-true formula. Nope. They did it by faithfully executing the type of meathead death metal that adds pounds (or kilos) to the barbell and hair to the chest.” Grace and disgrace.
“What more can be said about the indefatigable Rogga Johansson that hasn’t already been said by my esteemed colleagues overlords here at AMG? From his “main” band Paganizer to his self-titled work, from the duo Johansson & Speckmann to the war-themed Just Before Dawn, we’ve reviewed our fair share of this prolific Swedish death metaler’s output. And that only scratches the surface. As we’ve previously pointed out, the man has over a hundred credits to his name, with no hint of slowing down, taking a break or staying hydrated. With that in mind, today we’re taking a look at yet another Johansson side quest: Swedish Death Metal band Eye of Purgatory and their second album The Lighthouse.” Rogga! Rogga! Rogga!
“If you’re in the market for a death metal album that approximates the very specific sensation of being turned into a bloody pancake by an unstoppable tank division, here it is, folks. An Army at Dawn is the 4th platter of war-themed splatter from Just Before Dawn, and as on their prior battle primers, they target a sound halfway between the bulldozing punch of Bolt Thrower and the doomy, dreary war-death of Hail of Bullets.” Breaking Dawn.
“Some things seem to be just one tweak away from being great. Dead Carnage is an okay band name, but it seems a bit redundant. Isn’t most carnage dead? Better, I think, would be Live Carnage. The image of butchered and bloody bodies, moaning and clinging to their last vestiges of life, seems a lot more brutal to me than any imagery evoked by “Dead Carnage.” But hey, I’m a guy that listens to Goatpenis—a band’s moniker has never stopped me from checking out an album before.” Live undead.
“Not long after the release of Internal Caustic Torments, Wombbath went on indefinite hiatus for two decades, only to be resurrected by one Jonny Pettersson. For those not in the know, Pettersson is to Swedeath what Rogga Johansson is to… well, Swedeath. Playing a role in over a dozen active bands to include Heads for the Dead, Gods Forsaken, and Just Before Dawn, Pettersson is a necromancer advancing upon the outskirts of civilization with a horde of stinking, rotting death metal bands, ready to add yours to his ever-growing army.” Womb metal.
