Man! It’s been just a killer year as far as Swedish, Stockholm styled death metal is concerned! Not only do we have 2011 releases by the likes of Brutally Deceased, Revolting, Ribspreader, Miasmal, Feral, Morbus Chron and Undead Creep, but we’ve seen reissues from Furbowl, Toxaemia, Utumno, and Uncanny too. Also, I’ve been going back and discovering other recent acts I’ve missed like Morbider, Winterwolf and Blood Mortized.  And…that’s all before the new Entrails drops later this summer! Phew!

Before we get that far, enter Sweden’s Demonical and their follow up to 2008’s Hellsworn. As you’d expect from a band featuring folks involved with the likes of Centinex, Grave, Diabolical and Interment, the bloodlines are strong and pure, as far as Stockholm styled death metal is concerned; awesome buzz saw guitar tone, pummeling, groovy riffs and throaty gruff vocals all delivered with conviction and just enough melody to keep it interesting.

Death Infernal basically follows along perfectly with the previous album and the debut–it’s a damn solid album and a perfectly implemented example of the genre, as honest and pure rendered as can be–but like some of the members’ other acts , namely Centinex and Diabolical, it’s just a shade under elite level, lacking a truly classic vibe or feel (a la Entrails).

But don’t get me wrong, fans of the genre (myself very much included) will lap up Death Infernal, as at times it simply kills. The killer moments are mostly on slower tracks where the guitar tone is allowed to breathe and swell with a burly mid-range buzz; “Return in Flesh”, “March For Victory”, “All Shall Perish” and “From Northern Shores”. I should probably mention, that if you’ve ever wanted to hear what Amon Amarth would sound like with a Sunlight buzz, just listen to “March for Victory” , “Slain Warriors” and “From “Northern Shores”. Tell me those aren’t (killer) Amon Amarth riffs (…and song titles for that matter.)

The rest of the album is fleshed out with more urgent blasts and rumbles  like “The Arrival of Armageddon”, “Black Inferno”,  “Ravenous”, ‘Through Hellfire” and “Darkness Awaits” which go for a more standard early Grave/Dismember sense of bristling but melodic  dynamic (especially “Darkness Awaits” which could have come from any of Dismember‘s last 3-4 albums).

As with the debut there’s a cover song, and as with the debut it’s an off the wall one (that one was Onslaught‘s “Death Metal”), this time being a cover of Emperor‘s “Night of the Graveless Souls”, which takes a few bars to recognize when rendered which such a beefy tone, and without the synths, but ends up being pretty damn cool.

While Death Infernal is another damn fine addition to the collection of Swedish death metal, and though Hellsworn actually came closer, I still keep waiting for Demonical to unleash something truly special.

 

 

 

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