Bloodbath
Nightmares Made Flesh

THE REVIEW

Have you ever seen those bottles of liquor with the label that reads "purest distillate of...", well, in the case of this album, we might, borrowing the euphemism, say it is a "purest distillate of Death Metal". That's it, nothing more.

Twelve songs, each more brutal than the last, with an innate tendency towards the "retro" scene, not only regarding the tradition of the more renowned "Swedish Metal" (Entombed, early Hypocrisy), but with more than a nod to the extreme music from across the ocean. You don't need a trained ear, if you are familiar with the genre that is, to safely distinguish the influences that have most impacted the structure of Bloodbath: Morbid Angel, Autopsy, Possessed, Bathory, and many others who have been pivotal to the success of Death Metal, bringing it to be that super-contaminated and versatile genre it is today.

Sure, one might not think that this is an innovative work, but of certain musical times, of certain fast and technical attitudes, of certain sonic assaults, you simply cannot do without. Thus, here it is, this work that has no pretensions, no desire to "innovate", no obscure angle to seek: pure sonic aggression, as in the best relentless and nihilistic tradition of Death Metal. And so, "chainsaw" guitars (but much better mixed than in the previous "Resurrection Through Carnage"), fierce and dark vocals, explosive drumming with the double bass drum always prominently featured (at times it almost feels like hearing the magnificent Dave Lombardo at his best), songs that last three, at most four minutes, and that manage to spew rage and violence from every pore.
Sure, I probably haven't discovered the wheel by saying that this is a great album, given the members (who are: Dan Swanö and Anders Nyström on guitars, Jonas Renkse on bass, Martin Axenrot on drums, and Peter Tägtgren on vocals, replacing the defector Mikael Åkerfeldt) and considering the expertise and talent they have shown and continue to demonstrate with their respective origin bands (Katatonia, Hypocrisy, Opeth), but it's worth saying that, above all, the passion for the genre and the desire to have fun is felt entirely.

So, why not indulge in a healthy and wholesome dose of "bone-crushing" violence that hasn’t been heard in a long time? The ingredients and possibilities, more than any other potential, are all there, in every track for every taste. Starting with "Cancer of the Soul" with Peter Tägtgren's voice at low tones that is a real pleasure to listen to, continuing with "Eaten" with its marked "Morbid Angel" physiognomy, or lingering on the ultra-fast tempos of "Draped in Disease"?

Not just for the nostalgic, as much has been written, but also for those who, perhaps, aren't familiar with the grimmer side of bands like Katatonia or Hypocrisy or who, frankly, don't want to hear about contaminations and have nothing but an Unleashed record of any kind on the bedside table.