Desolator (Swe) - Spawn of Misanthropy EP

Artist: Desolator (Swe)
Release Title: Spawn of Misanthropy EP
Year: 2016
Label: Self-Released/Independant
Genre: Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Illusions of Grandeur
2. The Faceless God
3. Sectarian Breed
4. Dark Epitaph

The first EP release from Swedish death metallers Desolator offers a blatantly excessive and enjoyable burst of old-school sounding death metal. Rather than opt for the chainsaw-buzzsaw grooves so prevalent in their homeland’s scene, this one takes more cues from classic American death metal with slow, massive rhythms and churning riff-work taking on a far more predominant sense of atmosphere and dread that retains a strong sense of the darkened macabre that feels more associated with that scene. Keeping things more of a mid-tempo slow-burn but keeping the speed contained to the appropriate sections whenever necessary not only furthers that churning atmospherics quite heavily but also manages the rather impressive feat of bringing variety into the effort along the way, bridging a full dynamic of rhythms and paces for a solid, well-rounded effort. It does tend to come off like the highlight reel from a full-length album with the shortened tracklisting that offers three solid tracks up-top and then delivering the crushing, monolithic closer here which is all in fine order throughout here, yet even that doesn’t really dampen the effect here with this one offering quite a powerful punch regardless of it’s size.

Overall here the tracks are quite impressive and enjoyable. Opener ‘Illusions of Grandeur’ features a sampled movie speech into a tight, vicious blast of staggered mid-tempo riffing staggering along with dynamic chugging rhythms and plenty of stylish tremolo-picked patterns against the blasting drumming as the overall dynamic rhythm changes continue throughout the solo section into the final half for a truly explosive opening shot. ‘The Faceless God’ blasts through frantic riffing and explosive drumming charging along with the furious tempos bringing the clanking rhythms and choppy patterns along through more mid-tempo realms with the dynamic riffing and drum-work coming through the finale for another enjoyable effort. ‘Sectarian Breed’ takes a rattling intro with plenty of staggered drumming and rattling mid-tempo rhythms full of dynamic start/start riffing that takes on more explosive arrangements with the pounding drumming alongside the melodic riff-work trinkling along through the charging finale for a slightly lower offering than the previous tracks but still has some enjoyable moments. Lastly, the epic album-closer ‘Dark Epitaph’ takes an epic movie-sampled intro that slowly grows into a plodding, militaristic march with bombastic, epic riffing and drum-blasts settling on a series of churning rhythms and pounding, plodding drumming that turns into a far more frantic and blasting series of swirling rhythms alongside the churning mid-tempo blasts into the solo section and on through the final half for a fine lasting impression.

Though it’s only four tracks long that really hurts this one as it seems over just when it’s really getting going, there’s little else to dislike here with this scathing blast of death metal that will readily appeal to most extreme metal fans or those that tend to follow Swedish death metal fervently.

Score: 88/100

Does it sound good? Order from here:
http://desolatorsweden.bandcamp.com/