So Canada’s Blast Head Records has thrown their hat into the retro Swedish death metal movement, and what an entry it is, digging up up Mörbid Vomit from the depths of Finland and compiling the bands 2012 demo and 2013’s self-released I Breathe Hell EP into one festering compilation.

But you’d swear they were from the bowels of Stockholm, Sweden based on their riotously old school, mid range buzz and gallop that captures the style as good as anything you’ll hear in 2015, and that includes upcoming Feral, Cult of Endtime releases, the Festerday and Skelethal compilations and, yes, the new Entrails album, Obliteration.

Yeah, I said it. And side by side, Return to the Crypts and Obliteration have almost identical productions with deep gravelly vocals and burly guitar tone, but I have to admit, as much as it pains me, Return to the Crypts simply has slightly better songs (at least after initial listens to Obliteration). There are just more killer grooves, more rumbling heft and just a better sense of memorable moments and riffs, and if I’m being honest, impressively recalls Entrails’ first two albums perfectly.

Then difference between the two sets of songs is virtually indistinguishable as the Stockholm buzz bleeds comfortably into one album rather than two noticeably different releases (the latter tracks from I Breathe Hell might be a smidgen bigger and cleaner). But each song has some sort of killer hook or chorus or groove that will destroy your neck, (again much like Entrails’ first two perfect efforts), as standouts like “Embodiment of Death” (fun fact: there is a song on Obliteration called “Epitome of Death”), “Another One to Die”, “Engulfed by the Plague” and “Fuck the Dead” (which is really awkward singing out loud in your car with the window open) all displayed with down-tuned, meaty aplomb.

There’s only two minor downfalls to what is otherwise a brand new, bright star in the genre and that’s 1) the length — there’s only about a half an hour of original material here — and 2) the bonus previously unreleased cover, “Prime Mover” isn’t a cover of the Zodiac Mindwarp song but rather the Ghost BC song. Boooooooo. But still, it’s a nice little album closing romp, but I guess I’ll have to wait for someone to play the Zodiac Mindwarp version with HM2 pedals I suppose…

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