BANISHED FROM INFERNO

This is a short 'n sweet blast of old-school Swedish style death metal. All wrapped up in bullet belts and stinking of stale beer, BANISHED FROM INFERNO offers a 23-minute EP of fundamentally arranged death metal with groove and just the right amount of tunefulness, much like one would expect from an Ibex Moon release.

Featuring members of MACHETAZO, PAGANIZER, RIBSPREADER, DEMIURG, EDGE OF SANITY, WORMED, GODUS, and HUMAN MINCER, the dedicated warriors in BANISHED FROM INFERNO have captured the spirit of the scene's first era without sounding like retro wannabes. They also happen to kick loads of ass, while keeping the bile flowing like a polluted stream. Introduced by the eerie atmospherics of "Aurora Macabra", which soon turns into an instrumental firestorm, the stage is set for speeding crush 'n' churn. "Storm Apokalypse" then follows with a fast tempo, alternating between quick gallops and blast beats, and featuring a whipsawing, screaming guitar solo. It is at this point that you will recognize the similarities in death vocal styles between BANISHED FROM INFERNO growler Rogga and Mikael Åkerfeldt's work in BLOODBATH. Low to the ground and ominous as hell is the way Rogga rolls. More crunchy riffing and speedy brutality come with "Calaveras", which includes an effective pairing of bellowing growls and demon screams on the one-word chorus, sending shivers down the spine. The most dynamic of the bunch is "Stench of Evil Thru the Mist". A groovy, nearly rock 'n roll feel defines the pacing, while the lead guitar line lifts up the riff and entices with a pinch of melody. The pedal-to-the-metal break introduced by a thrashy riff is perfect before the track slows back down and is peppered with chilling spoken vocals "The Solemn Bleakness" (you have to admit, that's pretty damn bleak) closes out the album the way it began with cold atmospherics. But after a period of silence during the same track none other than a devastating cover of CELTIC FROST's "Into the Crypt of Rays" explodes out of the speakers. Well done boys.

Not a bad way to spend part of a Sunday afternoon, BANISHED FROM INFERNO offers enough to cause one to look forward to a full-length release. So what if you've heard it all before? No one said this was a magnum opus. This one looks to please only the DM devotees.