DEMIURG

Can anyone stop, or even slow down Rogga Johansson (PAGANIZER, BONE GNAWER, REVOLTING, THE GROTESQUERY, etc)? The answer is "no." The guy is a Swedish death metal juggernaut with the need to constantly create. His calling card has always been crushing, old-school Swedish death metal and there is plenty of that on DEMIURG's "Slakthus Gamleby". However, DEMIURG has always been the one project through which Johansson has been able to spread his wings and move beyond the typical trappings of the hallowed style. This third DEMIURG release is in fact "old school" and "death metal," but it is also "progressive" and "melodic," setting well apart from any of the man's other projects. Enlisting the services of Dan Swanö (ex-EDGE OF SANITY, ex-BLOODBATH) for lead guitar, keyboards, and mixing/mastering, Johan Berglund (THIS HAVEN, THE GROTESQUERY) for bass, Ed Warby (ex-GOREFEST, HAIL OF BULLETS, THE 11TH HOUR) for clean vocals and drums, and Marjan Welman (AUTUMN) for clean female vocals doesn't hurt either.

The genius of "Slakthus Gamleby" is the way in which it always stays grounded in OSDM crunch 'n stomp, yet pushes the envelope with melody and progressive flourishes than neither detract nor seem overindulgent. Indeed, the 39-minute balancing act that is "Slakthus Gamleby" succeeds with both groove-based pummel and breathtaking beauty. Led by Johansson's mighty growl and giant-sized riffs, much of the album features romping Swede-death that by itself would make for a great OSDM experience. But even during up-tempo, catchy killers like "Life is a Coma", Welman's angelic voice will break through, catching the listener pleasantly by surprise with moments of cold solemnity. More importantly, those moments don't seem thrown together or out of place in any way whatsoever, a problem that has plagued so many other ambitious DM projects. Warby is no slouch in the singing department either; his hypnotic clean section during the doomy/melodic "Travellers of the Vortex" epic and chilling at once. "Slakthus Gamleby" is one album where the players are just as important as the songwriting and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Whether it is crossing Gothenburg melodiousness with Stockholm stench on "Cold Skin" (one of a few places where the keyboard lines really shine),showcasing Welman's serene vocals during the touching "From Laughter to Retching", or cracking skulls with "Death Grasp Oblivion", you'll never find yourself watching the clock or tiresomely waiting for the next burst of adrenaline. DEMIURG fires on all cylinders with "Slakthus Gamleby". No ifs, ands, or buts about it.