Tag Archives: Gothenburg

ALBUM REVIEW: Upon Stone – Dead Mother Moon

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Look alive kids, it’s time for America’s favorite game: initial impressions. Not going to lie, there was some editorial concern when noticing the album art for Upon Stone’s Dead Mother Moon (Century Media). When presented with an image depicting an armored warrior with broadsword in hand and the full moon lighting him from behind, I had some thoughts. Worst case scenario is this is some Dungeons & Dragons inspired Power Metal nonsense. Best case scenario, it’s very Castlevania by way of airbrushed art on the side of a van.Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Imperishable – Come, Sweet Death

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Every once in a while, there is an itch in the back of my brain, and the only way to scratch it is to listen to Swedish Death Metal. With such luck, into my ears goes the full-length debut of Imperishable, appropriately named, Come, Sweet Death (Hammerheart Records). Blistering, chainsaw-like guitar riffs with epic leads, relentless drum work, and harsh raspy vocals is everything to expect from that sweet Gothenburg flavor of death metal. This scorcher of an album hardly lets up across the thirty-eight-minute blaze and will be sure to leave you either exhausted or ready to jump out of an airplane.

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ALBUM REVIEW: The Halo Effect – Days Of The Lost

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Although lockdown was undeniably a desperate time for the entertainment business, for some, the time spent in isolation actually created opportunities. With schedules and timetables suddenly emptied, many long-standing ideas and projects, that for whatever reason, looked set to never get off the ground, were finally able to grow and develop into something more than a mere hopeful nucleus of an ideaContinue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Bury Tomorrow – Cannibal

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Is it weird to have “should’ve leaned more into brutality” as your first thought upon completing a Metalcore album? Asking for a friend. That’s not to say that there is a total absence of the heavier and grimier stuff on Bury Tomorrow’s Cannibal (Music for Nations/Sony), but I wouldn’t have been heartbroken if they would’ve squeezed some more juice out of the amps.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Sylosis – Cycle of Suffering

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So, Cycle of Suffering (Nuclear Blast) is Sylosis‘ post-hiatus album? Considering how tight the musicianship is and the sense of urgency you could’ve told me that this was released six months after Dormant Heart, and I would’ve bought the lie hook, line, and sinker. For a band that just reformed last year and have worked their way through various personnel changes, this is some remarkable shit. Continue reading →


Boundaries – My Body In Bloom

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When it comes to Metalcore there may be nothing new left under the sun. Some detractors would argue that there never was anything to the subgenre. And to those insufferable malcontents may I suggest a long holiday and taking a listen to Killswitch Engage’s Alive or Just Breathing (Roadrunner) or Coalesce’s Functioning on Impatience (Second Nature). There may be a dearth of new or novel sounds on Boundaries’ My Body In Bloom EP (Unbeaten Records), but boy does this Connecticut unit know how to make the most out of fundamentals.Continue reading →


Agrimonia – Awaken

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When your primary musical focus consists of playing in At The Gates, Skitsystem, or Martyrdöd, any and all accompanying projects are going to be subjected to some level of scrutiny. “Yeah, but it’s not Slaughter Of The Soul, is it?” you may hark, but Sweden’s Agrimonia have never been ones to rely on paying lip service to their associated Death Metal and Crust Punk outfits. Five years removed from their last record Rites Of Separation, Agrimonia have presented us with their most ambitious, thematic and musically realised record, Awaken (both Southern Lord).Continue reading →


Vampire – With Primeval Force

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Having rather disappointingly not emerged from the mist-shrouded bowels of a spooky castle hidden within the haunted forests of nineteenth century Transylvania, but hailing instead from modern day Gothenburg, Sweden, Vampire do their best to transport you to such creepy, bat-infested locations with their form of horror inspired Black/Thrash Metal.Continue reading →


Archaea – Catalyst

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When new bands form they usually aim to get their music ‘out there’ as soon as possible, often releasing their début full-length album in the first couple of years. However, Archaea do not adhere to this stereotype as they are finally releasing their début album nearly eight years after forming. Although this may seem like a strange move, it does prove that a lot of thought, effort and time has gone into the creation of Catalyst (Self-release).

One of the most impressive songs on the album is ‘Vacuum’, a dramatic and almost enchanting melodic metal song. The frantic nature of the song is highlighted by the fast-paced keyboard melodies, which manage to fuse well with Nils Bossius’ powerful vocals. There is definitely a theatrical element to this song, however, it does not sound tacky or over-rehearsed.

There are many stereotypes about Swedish melodic death metal all sounding the same, but that definitely is not true. Although Archaea are able to nail all of the genre tick-lists (heavy vocals, melodic keyboard, ect), there is something a bit different about the Gothenburg-based sextet. Every song on the album sounds unique and it is hard to get bored whilst listening to it. Although there may be a slight overload of keyboard melodies, which is slightly reminiscent of Children Of Bodom, it does not change the professionalism of Archaea’s sound.

If you gave this album to someone who was scared of the melodic metal genre it would definitely encourage them to listen to more ‘melodeath’ music. Catalyst is extremely easy to listen to as Archaea have made an album which focuses on creating high-quality music with hints of other genres embedded into their sound. Although it may not be the most ground-breaking record of the genre, Archaea have worked hard to create a release is sure to gain them respect in the metal community and a wide variety of new fans.

 

7.0/10

JULIA CONOPO