Back in January of this year, this website, and indeed this reviewer, reacted to the onslaught that was debut four-track teaser EP ‘Rise From Treason’ by advising that the best way to approach this new project – featuring former In Flames stalwarts Jesper Strömblad and Glenn Ljungström, ex-The Haunted vocalist Marco Aro and Chris Barkesjö, formerly of Kaamos and Grave – was to “embrace The Resistance with open arms”.
Three and a bit short months later, and proving that this mob were not going to hang around in their quest to take Swedish death metal back to its roots, the follow up full-length album has landed – and once again proven that resistance to this particular movement is futile…
‘Scars’ is not an album: it is a punishment beating – 12 tracks of brutal, traditional, hardcore tinged death metal that just pummel their way through you and inflict more damage with repeated listenings and evoke the spirit of the genre in its genesis, when it was genuinely exciting. This, of course, means that ‘Scars’ is not particularly innovative – but, it does not seek to be, but instead serves to serve a gigantic “fuck you” to those who have endeavoured to water down the true in-you-face attitude of the genre in pursuit of “commercial success”. What it does sound like are four veteran matellians having a fuck loads of fun returning to their roots and rediscovering the joy of their musical heritage.
There are plenty of reference points for fans of the musicians’ previous ensembles, and ‘Scars’ is an amalgam of all the best bits of those outfits with a shitload of additional energy… Barkesjö produces some of the most brutal beatdowns heard in quite some time, Strömblad’s guitar work combines ironclad, neck-breaking riffs with hugely melodic solos, while Aro’s vocals are angry and confrontational.
Essential listening.
- Clearing The Slate
- Your Demise
- To The Death
- Expand To Expire
- Imperfected
- I Bend – You Break
- The Serpent King
- Eye For An Eye
- My Madness
- Warmonger
- Scars
- (I Will) Die Alone
‘Scars’ is released on earMUSIC on May 10th.
Join The Resistance at https://www.facebook.com/theresistanceswe