Martyrdöd
Hexhammaren

Those familiar with the adventures of the Gaulish warrior Astérix know very well that his friend Obélix is invincible because he fell into the cauldron of magic potion as a child. This powerful and wizardly brew indeed grants invincible strength to whoever gulps it down, limitless if one plunges into it and then gets a Gallic gastric lavage. The ingenious druid responsible for the wondrous concoction is called Panoramix. But what do French comics have to do with Martyrdöd? Nothing, except for the fact that in my twisted mind, a parallel has formed between the Swedish group and the wise Panoramix.

Imagine these shady figures roaming through the forest of Scandinavian extreme music, armed with golden sickles, ready to gather a bit of crust and d-beat twigs, black metal berries, rough death metal leaves like Entombed, yet even more fragrant like In Flames, and finally some nice moss of '80s extreme metal. Try then to envision them engaging in heating water in a large cauldron, a big beautiful kettle, and after the bubbles begin to appear, throwing in all the ingredients and mixing, mixing, mixing... And then finally adding the last touch: delicate folk flowers.

At this point, all that's left is to line up in front of the druids to await your sip from the big ladle. Having drunk the potion, delicious and masterfully prepared, in which all flavors are savored, yet none dominates or covers the others, our renewed strength will surprise us, allowing us to throw punches to the left and right, not at Julius Caesar and his legions this time, but at whoever we see fit. A few musical slaps to those who only listen to crass mainstream pop with their brains in atrophic states, to the elderly who watch Sanremo every damn year, or to youngsters dazed by trap; everyone can pick a target to their liking. Rest assured: Hexhammaren will strike appropriately, just as the previous List did so well. Moreover, Martyrdöd continues to remind me of the legendary Merciless (I felt it was important to say this, and sooner or later, it will be good to fill the review gap on that matter).

In 2019 AD, has all extreme music been conquered? No! A small group in Sweden still resists the invader...