Echelon - The Brimstone Aggrandizement

Artist: Echelon
Release Title: The Brimstone Aggrandizement
Year: 2016
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Genre: Old-School Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Plague of the Altruistic
2. The Forbidden Industry
3. Lex Talionis
4. Of Warlocks and Wolves
5. The Brimstone Aggrandizement
6. Vital Existence
7. The Feared Religion
8. Monsters in the Gene Pool/Sonic Vortex

Another of his prodigious releases, Swedish/UK  old-school death metal supergroup Echelon continue to further the rabid traditionally-minded old-school sound that Rogga Johansson has made his career on, this project a union between Rogga and legendary vocalist Dave Ingram. Bringing onboard Paganizer collaborator Kjetil Lynghaug on Guitar, Ribspreader bassist Johan Berglund and maniacal drummer Travis Ruvo, the groups’ second full-length album was originally released December 22, 2016 on Transcending Obscurity Records.

Much as could be expected here, the band is quite obviously yet another group that brings about its old-school death metal style to the forefront almost immediately. Filled to the brim with deep, churning riff-work that offers plenty of straightforward mid-tempo paced rhythms that are equally as frantic and intense as well as sharp and bludgeoning in their sprawling tones, it makes for a wholly appealing time. The fact that it’s all recorded at that warm, vibrant tone makes the riffing even more impressive here generating the sort of tactical approaches usually featured in the early days of the scene by switching from the tight, crunchy grooves favored in that scene while also employing slow, sprawling sections that feature wave after wave of heavy riff-work, pounding drumming and dynamic vocals into these dynamic rhythms that propel this one along. As it rages through these varying tempos and rhythm patterns, it really generates that old-school feel here without being cheesy or cloying as there are quite a few sections that trade in the churning riffs for spiraling tremolo-picked riffing or allowing for melodic overtones to the frantic, fiery solo sections and it all captures the old-school vibe exceptionally well. It does come off a little short here at times with the brief running time coming against it with the few tracks here, but it’s nowhere near enough to really hold back this one’s retro-themed fun.

Though it doesn’t really come with the full-on throwback to the old-school days with its brief running time holding it back somewhat, the fact that the vast majority of the album is still raging old-school themed death metal of fine caliber makes this a worthwhile choice for fans of the participants’ other bands or old-school death in general.

Score: 95/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://echelondm.bandcamp.com/album/the-brimstone-aggrandizement-death-metal-supergroup

Ribspreader - Suicide Gate - A Bridge to Death

Artist: Ribspreader
Release Title: Suicide Gate - A Bridge to Death
Year: 2016
Label: Xtreem Music
Genre: Old-School Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Descent of the Morbid
2. Centuries of Filth
3. Eligi
4. The Suffering Earth
5. A Worthless Breed
6. World Dismemberment
7. In Mankind's Rotting Grip
8. The Remains in the Wall
9. Under Ash-Filled Skies

One of his never-ending projects, Swedish death metallers Ribspreader are another in the large crop of bands from Rogga Johansson which he uses to spread his passion of old-school death metal as this one is one of the longest lasting efforts. With drummer Brynjar Helgetun and guitarist Andreas Carlsson being replaced by Jeramie Kling and Taylor Nordberg respectively, the groups’ sixth full-length is released June 15, 2016 on new-label Xtreem Music.

Whereas the majority of the bands are more of a straightforward old-school act, this particular entity of Rogga’s centers around a stylish worship of the Swedish scene in general. This one manages to take on that typically grinding buzzsaw riffing style complete with the swirling thrash melodies to offer up the kind of speed-drenched efforts that reek of that atmosphere and power that come from the album’s near-continuous onslaught of ravenous riff-work in this dynamic style. Working in that presence of dread and doom here in which they add in a slightly more pronounced galloping pace that acts as a melodic sprawl against the ravenous actions elsewhere while bringing about plenty of tight rhythms and atmosphere here to counteract the driving intensity displayed here. This attack is quite impressive and enjoyable for the most part with the album going between the ravenous and the more reserved sections in a rather fine variety, even if the album isn’t really all that original or creative for the most part. It steals from the playbook of so many other acts from this time-period and style that there’s not much about it that really stands out beyond the energy and enthusiasm from the tracks, and for the most part is what really holds this one back.

Generating plenty of ravenous Swedish-styled influences together for one rather fine project that doesn’t really do much interesting or original work here which harms this one somewhat enough in order to really leave this for the most devout followers of Swedish death metal, Rogga aficionados or old-school death fans in general while others should heed caution here due to its issues.

Score: 89/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://xtreemmusic.bandcamp.com/album/suicide-gate-a-bridge-to-death

Paganizer - On the Outskirts of Hades EP

Artist: Paganizer
Release Title: On the Outskirts of Hades EP
Year: 2016
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Genre; Swedish Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Angry All the Time
2. Adjacent to Purgatory
3. The Netherworld Carnivale
4. On the Outskirts of Hades

Part of Rogga Johansson’s never-ending cycle of bands, Swedish death metallers Paganizer are his main band and one of the oldest of his projects dedicated to his passion and love for Swedish-sounding death metal that runs through his dozens of projects. The third of three EPs released by the project during the calendar year, this new release of ravenous death metal was issued August 1, 2016 on Transcending Obscurity Records.

As is to be expected here, this one is pretty simple to determine it’s old-school Swedish-influenced death metal sound with a rather furious and vicious blast of charging up-tempo death metal. The material is wholly simplistic and take on the swirling buzzsaw grooves popularized by the bands first coming out of Sweden in the early-90s though warped through a more Floridian tone that adds varied sense of dynamics and cutting tone rather than the infamous chainsaw-laced charge that completes the traditional Swedish model. Likewise, the ability to shift gears into a more straightforward doom-like charge that adds a sprawling urgency to it that completes the old-school feel. This is a truly enjoyable burst of old-school death metal and is really only undone by the fact that only has four tracks which ends this one so early that it just ends up being quite abrupt and just quite quickly, leaving this one with a weird ending rush. Otherwise, this one has a score of positive material to like here.

Being just a touch too short to really get the most bang out of it’s attack, this one still manages to offer up such a solid, overall blistering account of Swedish-influenced death metal here that this one really should work well for all fans of this kind of death metal or Rogga’s projects in general.

Score: 93/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://paganizer.bandcamp.com/album/on-the-outskirts-of-hades-death-metal

Johansson and Speckmann - Edge of the Abyss

Artist: Johansson and Speckmann
Release Title: Edge of the Abyss
Year: 2016
Label: Soulseller Records
Genre: Old-School Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Perpetuate the Lie
2. You've Stepped on a Dime
3. Misanthropy
4. Turn It Around
5. The Last Witness Is Barely Alive
6. The One They All Despised
7. The Edge of the Abyss
8. A Concept
9. Already in Disguise

Wasting no time in between recording for each members’ other groups, International death metal collaboration Johansson and Speckmann have quickly come together to offer what might be the crowning opus for each member in the calendar year. This time joined by monster drummer Brynjar Helgetun and also presenting lead guitarist Kjetil Lynghaug, the group’s third full-length effort was released September 16, 2016 through Soulseller Records.

As was prominently featured in the last album, this one here comes from the utterly dominating old-school attack that manages to feature the qualities of their two bands together in a fine mix. This one goes from the typical churning, swirling riff-patterns and the frenzied blasting tempos featured here that are mixed alongside the furious simplistic thrashing sections that create a palpable surge of energy and intensity throughout here while allowing for some strong agonized sprawling that gives it a strong touch of the old-school throughout here. When it gets to the mid-tempo rhythms become far more prominent and the album becomes far more straightforward and simplistic which is what drops this in favor of these plodding efforts which play far more in line with what occurs in both members’ other projects. That variety here is quite prominent within the confines of the album with it making a concerted effort to appeal to both fan-bases quite readily without much difficulty and the release makes for a great time for fans of both members by featuring the kind of work mostly familiar to each other. This tends to make the album come off like simply one of them is guesting on the others’ work which is the sign of a true collaboration between them yet doesn’t really pack any kind of surprises overall by simply providing more of the same here. While that is indeed quite a package, the lack of creativity and uniqueness about this project does become noticeable.

Though it really lacks much in the way of creativity or really any surprises of any kind, the fact that this one really seems honest about working to the strengths of both members here who come from a similar background that this is a no-doubt interest to fans of both members as well as any fanatic of old-school death metal.

Score: 93/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:

https://www.discogs.com/Johansson-Speckmann-Edge-Of-The-Abyss/release/9014116

Johansson and Speckmann - Mask of the Treacherous

Artist: Johansson and Speckmann
Release Title: Mask of the Treacherous
Year: 2015
Label: Vic Records
Genre: Old-School Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Mask of the Treacherous
2. Inhuman Lust
3. Through the Filth and Riddled Ages
4. The Wicked Marches On
5. The Bringer of Pain
6. I'll End Your Rotten Life
7. Within Reach
8. Enslaved in Filth
9. A Grave for This World

Furthering their success from the previous album, International death metal collaboration Johansson and Speckmann are certainly putting their collective might together in this project that brings the two luminaries together once again for a spectacular assault of old-school death metal. Gaining in their abilities from the previous release, the project’s second full-length record was released February 23, 2015 on Vic Records.

As befits the status of the men involved here, this is their usually simplistic and overly primitive-styled mixture of straightforward death metal augmented with strong thrashing overtones. This utterly simplistic and not all that varied music within here allows it either to be a rather tight and ferocious charge swirling with mid-tempo agonized riffing and plodding paces or generates a crunchy thrash-laden series of rhythms that offer up some rather frantic and blistering efforts. It works quite well in keeping that nicely mixed with the attacks getting balanced incredibly well between the churning old-school riffing with the thrashing energy, and it really sounds like a full-on mixture of both artists’ main groups. Going for the mix of tight, churning thrash with the agonized sprawling rhythms really gives this the album’s greatest strength as there’s a slight variance between the styles in terms of the different approaches reaching a rather strong approach for the old-school tactics that are featured within here. While there’s plenty of rather enjoyable work here because of that, it tends to run itself into quite predictable realms because it’s all about letting their main bands come together in one area without much deviation and it does crop up as something within this one. The tracks really fall into either category and it does have a really simplistic attack that does really affect this one slightly. Still, it’s got plenty to really like here in other regards.

Though it does find itself losing a little bit in the overall set-up with the approach running itself too close to each other at times, this one still manages to effectively capture the old-school feeling from both members that this overcomes the flaws for the most part and becomes a wholly appealing choice for fans of either members’ projects or old-school death metal in general.

Score: 93/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://vicrecords.com/shop/index.php?id_product=50&controller=product&search_query=johansson&results=7

Megascavenger - As Dystopia Beckons

Artist: Megascavenger
Release Title: As Dystopia Beckons
Year: 2016
Label: Selfmadegod Records
Genre: Swedish Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Rotting Domain
2. The Machine That Turns Humans into Slop
3. Dead City
4. As the Last Day Has Passed
5. The Hell That Is in This World
6. Dead Rotting and Exposed
7. Steel Through Flesh Extravaganza
8. The Harrowing of Hell
9. As Dystopia Beckons

One of the numerous bands in his resume, Swedish death metal project Megascavenger are part of multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Rogga Johansson’s never-ending series of bands dedicated to keeping the flame alive for the original wave of Swedish-flavored death metal. Again gathering a horde of accomplished scene vocalists to join his instrumental assault, the projects’ third full-length album was released March 1, 2016 on Selfmadegod Records.

As is usual with Rogga’s trademark style, the main focus of the album is atmospheric Swedish death that whips the familiar churning buzzsaws through the blazing tremolo-accented riffing and plenty of flowing buzzsaw grooves that make for the ever-present Stockholm-style brand of Swedish death metal. Rumbling along with plenty of tight rhythms and the occasional burst into the charging mid-tempo chug patterns that make for quite a stylish burst of old-school Swedish death metal, and with the different vocalists present do give the songs a somewhat different vibe here with the different growling and shrieks generating a wholly varying atmosphere. This goes along with the album’s main drawback in the enhanced usage of industrial keyboards. This is so prominent in the second half of the album that it really derails the intensity and savageness of the first half and drags the album down considerably. It sounded so good and pummeling with the traditional Swedish-accented riffing and pummeling rhythms throughout here, yet this blaring, one-note keyboard work that just barges in on numerous tracks and drowns out the riffing or merges itself alongside these patterns causes it to really suffer from a sense of conflicting tones too great to really get the most out of what’s presented with the fun-if-derivative riffing providing this with some fun tracks yet this clanging intrusion really saps a lot of that out. It works on a few tracks as backing accents, but it really goes down when it overtakes the music which causes it to suffer.

Though it’s got a rather big and glaring problem to really overcome here in the hopes of getting to really like this one, there’s more than enough positives to like about it when it’s on that this one really seems to be in a strange middle-ground where Swedish-styled death fanatics who can stomach the industrial might like it while it might not have enough to please industrial fans, though any fanatic of Rogga’s work in general is advised to check it out.

Score: 79/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://selfmadegod.bandcamp.com/album/as-dystopia-beckons