Crypt Of Kerberos
World Of Myths

Never heard anything like it; this isn't an epitaph, it's simply the first thought that comes to mind after listening to just one piece by these Swedes. Let's analyze the causes of this brevity of mine.

The band was born at the end of the eighties and disbanded prematurely in 1993, which was immediately after the release of “World Of Myths” for the fledgling record label Adipocere; keep this date in mind because it will help you understand the tremendous, I would say almost unimaginable, innovation these six guys managed to put into music.

I remember that in that year, in the realm of extreme metal, the most interesting things around were "Individual Thought Patterns" by Death (wonderful), the lethal "The Erosion Of Sanity" by Gorguts, and finally the masterpiece "Focus" by the late Cynic: well, this unknown album can comfortably be placed alongside those listed above (yes, you heard right, even alongside Cynic). The band's releases were really scarce and were predominantly Ep, Split, or Demo, which contributes to making this LP unique. The proposal is that of a Death metal halfway between Progressive and melodic, but I could even say that the melody is only a function of experimentation.
The structure of the eight songs that compose it is extremely varied and practically does not follow a pattern: one can notice that the tempos are always fairly measured, but never too slow. The great alternation with accelerations indeed helps to enliven the work without letting it fall into immobility or, worse yet, into boredom. Note the presence of instrumental pieces (of considerable length and consisting mainly of amazing solos) and interludes where the keyboards take center stage. The group, in fact, includes an excellent keyboardist in its ranks, who manages to bring a certain dose of very subtle and not at all overbearing melody to the proposal. He proves capable of going beyond the classic use of keyboards typical of melodic Death (and anyway I remind you that, excluding the 'Unanimated', melodic Death wasn't even born in 1993) and ventures into unexplored, almost jazzy territories.

The highlight, however, is the guitarists, two true virtuosos of their instrument: their style is very similar to that of the legendary singer-guitarist of the aforementioned 'Death', Chuck Schuldiner. It's not heresy, it's the pure truth; in fact, they perform incredibly complex solos, full of scales and significant technical difficulties, but capable of maintaining a certain melody and preserving their organic nature. However, their skill doesn't stop at the solo parts (which are numerous, almost constant): even the riffing appears very intricate, rich in counter-tempos, twin parts, and truly challenging passages (even acoustic ones).

The drummer does equally excellent work: alongside classic accelerations (which, however, I want to remind you, weren't that classic at the time) with double bass and very atmospheric slowdowns, the drummer manages to insert odd times that in some passages almost recall the future Meshuggah (!!!). In fact, I could say that this guy has some truly original ideas that enhance all his skill. A note of merit also for the singer who manages to change his voice with a certain dexterity, adapting it to the piece he has to interpret: from a typically deep Death growl, he easily shifts to an almost clean and not annoying screaming, then tends to clean vocals (in some points almost Thrashy) in the more solemn and pathos-laden moments.
Less relevant is the bassist's performance, subdued and not particularly incisive. The production is adequate to the work, although at first it might seem a little cold and "empty": actually, these characteristics allow the mood to develop better, making it more ethereal.

As I was saying, the songs have no characteristic structure, but this does not detract from the completeness of the work, rather, it enhances the versatility of the musicians and their fertility in writing: alongside more markedly Death compositions (“The Ancient War” for example), there are others more melodic and innovative. Note how both types of songs manage to maintain a truly particular mood, rich in passion, intimate and deep moments, and extraordinary emotional and dreamlike charges.
All this without damaging the power that Death metal can generate; in short, a truly poignant feeling to savor in every single note. I want to emphasize once again the similarities with the more progressive Death of bands like Death, Atheist, and Cynic.

I am infinitely sorry to have to state once again that records and bands like this pass unnoticed and are ignored, doomed to a slow but inexorable oblivion: the technical and compositional quality of “World Of Myths” and its hypnotic and enveloping atmosphere make it an album that would deserve infinite glory, listen to believe. I don't like to repeat myself, but the only thing that comes to mind is: never heard anything like it.