Lord Belial – Rapture

Artist: Lord BelialCountry: SwedenLabel: Hammerheart RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 A somewhat unexpected return. After no less than fourteen years Swedish Lord Belial is back with a new album. With this year marking their 30th anniversary (though quiting and reforming…

Therion – Beyond Sanctorum [Re-Release]

Artist: TherionCountry: SwedenLabel: Hammerheart RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 The second part of Hammerheart Records’ Therion reissues, after the great ‘Time Shall Tell’ 12” EP, is the bands’ second album ‘Beyond Sanctorum’. Indeed, skipping their great debut LP ‘Of Darkness…’…

Therion – Lepaca Kliffoth [Re-Release]

Artist: TherionCountry: SwedenLabel: Hammerheart RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 The musical voyage of Therion, that led them from a pure, but atypical Death Metal band to a multi-layered and creative musical chameleon has been spread over four albums, with each…

Therion – Time Shall Tell [EP / Re-Release]

Artist: TherionCountry: SwedenLabel: Hammerheart RecordsFormats: 12″ EPYear: 2022 Introducing a band like Therion seems a little pointless as they are among the most successful bands on the Nuclear Blast roster – for a quarter of a century now. Much of…

Paganizer – Beyond The Macabre

Artist: Paganizer Country: Sweden Label: Transcending Obscurity Records Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 Ah! Rogga Johansson again found some time to record yet another album, this time with Paganizer. It sometimes just puzzles me how some…

Dark Funeral – We Are the Apocalypse

Artist: Dark FuneralCountry: SwedenLabel: Century MediaFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 What is the point in introducing Dark Funeral? No, there is none. A band that has drawn as much praise as it received rejection. Rejection because the band isn’t matching…

AngelBlast – Throne of Ashes [EP]

Artist: AngelBlastCountry: SwedenLabel: Edged Circle ProductionsFormats: 7″ EPYear: 2022 As a two-piece AngelBlast released a 7” in 2019, which marked the start of the band. The three songs on that 7” showcased a band in its early stages, but potential…

Funeral Mist – Deiform

Artist: Funeral Mist Country: Sweden Label: Norma Evangelium Diaboli Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 Like always is the case with Funeral Mist, all of a sudden there is a new album. I was pleasantly surprised by 2018’s ‘Hekatomb’-album, which…

Ceremonial Oath – Carpet [Reissue]

Artist: Ceremonial OathCountry: SwedenLabel: VIC RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2020 After having paved the way for many bands that would follow and further perfect Ceremonial Oath’s blueprint for the melodic Gothenburg Death Metal sound with their amazing debut album, ‘The Book Of…

Bombs Of Hades – Carnivores [EP]

Artist: Bombs Of Hades Country: Sweden Label: Blood Harvest Formats: 7″ EP Year: 2008 I should’ve known better, really. I had this 7” EP here for quite some time before I started listening to it, the cover artwork for this…

Syphilitic Vaginas – Black Motor Covenant [EP]

Artist: Syphilitic Vaginas Country: Sweden Label: RFL Records Formats: 7″ EP Year: 2008 Syphilitic Vaginas have been releasing quite a pile of obscure vinyls and tapes over the last three-or-so years. And though it might come as they are from…

In Solitude – In Solitude

Artist: In Solitude Country: Sweden Label: High Roller Records / Pure Steel Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2008 This Swedish band with members from death metal band Katalysator (hailed in the Daniel Ekeroth’s book on Swedish Death Metal) and…

DoomVS – Dead Words Speak

Artist: DoomVSCountry: SwedenLabel: Firedoom MusicFormats: CDYear: 2008 Since 2004 the rather strangely named project Doom:VS is Johan Ericson’s way to keep himself busy. Besides his main band, Draconian, he finds the time to get his solo project going as well. And with “Dead Words…

In Solitude – Hidden Danger [EP]

Artist: In Solitude Country: Sweden Label: Swedish Metal Productions Formats: 7″ EP Year: 2008 Once in a while there are some new bands that sound so much like those old metal LP’s you might/should have that it is almost hard…

God Macabre – The Winterlong [Re-Release]

Artist: God Macabre Country: Sweden Label: Blood Harvest Formats: LP Year: 2008 As with many other great Swedish death metal releases, “The Winterlong” by God Macabre was a bit overlooked at the time of its release and failed to get…

Bloodstone – Hour Of The Gate [Compilation]

Artist: BloodstoneCountry: SwedenLabel: Blood HarvestFormats: LPYear: 2008 As every death metal fan from the very first days or any vinyl collector would confirm, old school Swedish death metal is be experienced on vinyl exclusively. But, unfortunately not all great albums have been issued on the…

Necrovation – Breed Deadness Blood

Artist: Necrovation Country: Sweden Label: Blood Harvest Formats: LP / CD Year: 2008 For the true followers of the Swedish death metal scene the name of Necrovation will definitely ring a bell. The band already released a cool demo-tape, a…

Enforcer – Evil Attacker / Mistress from Hell [EP]

Artist: Enforcer Country: Sweden Label: Iron Pegasus Records Formats: 7″ EP Year: 2007 Enforcer from Sweden are far from an original band, in fact, they are a band that are knee-deep in the 80’s. Their old fashioned, yet fresh sounding,…

Cauterizer – Then the Snow Fell… [Demo / Reissue]

Artist: CauterizerCountry: SwedenLabel: Blood HarvestFormats: 7″ EPYear: 2007 This Swedish death metal band may be long forgotten, yet Blood Harvest didn’t. And lucky us, really, as this is some of the better Swedish death metal that came to my ears. I honestly have…

In Aeternum – Curse Of Devastation [EP]

Artist: In Aeternum Country: Sweden Label: Blood Harvest / Pulverised Records Formats: 7″ EP / CD EP Year: 2007 With varying succes Swedish band In Aeternum have spawned records on mankind, through various labels and with an ever changing line-up.…

Isole – Forevermore [Re-Release]

Artist: Isole Country: Sweden Label: I Hate Records Formats: CD Year: 2007 This is the re-release of Isole’s debut record, originally released back in early 2005. In fact, the original release never really got out of sight as I kept…

Ribspreader – The Monolith [EP]

Artist: Ribspreader Country: Sweden Label: Blood Harvest Formats: 7″ EP Year: 2007 After a rather quick start this Swedish death metal act got a bit of a stranger in the scene. The band called its quits pretty much right after…

Tribulation – Putrid Rebirth [EP]

Artist: TribulationCountry: SwedenLabel: Blood HarvestFormats: 7″ EPYear: 2006 Though there are two different bands from Sweden with the name Tribulation, this is the alive and kicking one. It might be a little confusing as Blood Harvest also releases a lot…

Karnarium – Deity Of Opposites [EP]

Artist: Karnarium Country: Sweden Label: Blood Harvest Formats: 7″ EP Year: 2006 This underground Swedish death metal band has released a handful of demos before getting to releasing this 7” EP through the Swedish, underground praising Blood Harvest Records. Ever…

Vomination – Yog-Sothoth [Demo / Re-Release]

Artist: VominationCountry: SwedenLabel: Blood HarvestFormats: 7″ EPYear: 2006 This Swedish Vomination are throwing in some old school material on some old school format. That is how you can make me smile, some raw and obscure black, death, thrash or grindcore…

Corrupt – Silence Equals Death [EP]

Artist: CorruptCountry: SwedenLabel: Blood HarvestFormats: 7″ EPYear: 2006 After four demos and a split 7” with Necrovation (also on Blood Harvest) that I personally all missed, even the split 7”, I finally got my first release from them in the…

Ceremonial Execution – Black God Rising [EP]

Artist: Ceremonial ExecutionCountry: SwedenLabel: Blood HarvestFormats: 7″ EPYear: 2006 Before I read Blood Harvest was going to release this 7” EP I never heard of this Swedish band called Ceremonial Execution, so I didn’t know what to expect. Well, I…

Arckanum – Trulen

Artist: ArckanumCountry: SwedenLabel: Carnal RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2006 After the recent release of Arckanum’s “The 11 Year Anniversary Album” it is time for more retro-releasing for one of Sweden’s best kept black secrets. This time it is Arckanum’s 1994 demo “Trulen”-demo tape put on a silver…

Nominon – Recremation

Artist: Nominon Country: Sweden Label: Blood Harvest / Deathgasm Records / Konqueror Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2005 Recremation? That means that you will be set on fire twice when you are dead, to be sure you are more…

Deep Vein / Bloody Sign / Oppression – Split Tape

Artist: Deep Vein / Bloody Sign / OppressionCountry: France / France / SwedenLabel: Nihilistic HolocaustFormats: Split cassette tapeYear: 2004 Another tape from the Nihilistic Holocaust label, an old school label that is specialized in releasing old fashioned tape releases. Can…

Arckanum – The 11 Year Anniversary Album [Compilation]

Artist: ArckanumCountry: SwedenLabel: Carnal RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2004 Arckanum shouldn’t be a new name for any of the Black Metal fans around the globe. This Swedish act is around for many, many years now. Seeing the title of this record, I guess the band is around…

Necrovation – Ovations to Putrefaction [Demo]

Artist: Necrovation Country: Sweden Label: Self-Released Formats: Demo Tape Year: 2004 The red line through this demo-tape by Swedish Death Metallers is definitely the word “old school”. Everything this demo breathes is just old school, when was the last time…

Armagedda – Ond Spiritism: Djæfvvlens Skalder Anno Serpenti MMIV

Artist: ArmageddaCountry: SwedenLabel: Agonia RecordsFormats: LP, CDYear: 2004 Pretty quickly after the release of “Only True Believers” we get this new Armagedda album called “Ond Spiritism”. People who read my previous articles on the band know that I always presented them as “the hope for…

Abruptum – Casus Luciferi

Artist: AbruptumCountry: SwedenLabel: Blooddawn ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2004 I can’t recall getting a promo with a biography that was that short and that clear as the one I got with Abruptum’s last CD. Regain Records saw that a few…

Armagedda – Only True Believers

Artist: ArmageddaCountry: SwedenLabel: From Beyond ProductionsFormats: LPYear: 2003 October last year I reviewed the regular LP version of “Only True Believers”, what I’ve got here is the picture disc version of that same LP. Since Armagedda’s birth the band is going stronger and stronger and…

Watain – Casus Luciferi

Artist: WatainCountry: SwedenLabel: Drakkar Productions / InCoffin Productions / Mirgulus Siculorum / Orthodox ProductionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2003 When it comes the so-called true black metal the best things are still created in the northern regions of…

Regurgitate – Deviant

Artist: Regurgitate Country: Sweden Label: Relapse Records / Restrain Records Formats: CD / LP Year: 2003 It remains a tricky job, writing a review about bands like Regurgitate. After all, what should you write about such a band? An introduction…