Ho Hum, another Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Revolting, Ribspreader,  The Grotesquery, Down Among the Dead Men) project. Let’s see who he has joined up with this time shall we?  Well, we have Wombbath’s Håkan Stuvemark on vocals and guitars, Jon Skäre of Defiatory on drums and Mathias Back from Fimbultyr on bass (what, no Jonny Pettersson?????).

And while the style you’d expect is largely on display here (buzzing, HM2 Swedish death tone etc), the focus is actually far more based on rumbling, tumbling Death ‘n’ Roll akin the any of Entombed’s post Clandestine albums, (notably Wolverine Blues) or Comecon’s debut. Stuvemark delivers a throaty LG Petrov-ish shout, the riffs are far catchier and the songs are shorter, groovier, simpler stabs of the sound. And the result is largely successful and pretty fun, if a little safe at times.

Look no further than the likes of “Flesh Golem”, “The Eaters”, (which truly imbues “Full of Hell” from Wolverine Blues) , “Horror Waltz”, “Foaming at the Mouth”, “Black Hole Star” or romping closer “Rain Down Salvation”, for thick, robust, grooving riffs and thunderously simplistic but fun gallops. There’s little deviation; things get a little bit faster ( “Tyranny of the Blood”, “Fuel for the Pyres”), or a little bit slower (“A Matter of Time”), but it’s never too blasting or doomy.

Mixed by Stuvemark at Studio Nostalgica and mastered by Thomas Von Wachenfeldt (Wombbath, Wachenfeldt) at Bowstead Studios, the guitar tone is perfect, and not too overdone or polished, having just the right amount of smokey buzz and heft without sounding too clean.

It’s obvious there was a clear vision here for Reek; to sound like Entombed’s latter offerings and deliver raucous Death ‘n’ Roll. And with Death Is Something There Between, whether we needed it or not, they certainly have succeeded.

[Visit the band's website]

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