Album Review
Ah, Scandinavian death metal. Of heavy metal’s many overcrowded niches, the skuzzy sounds of the Sunlight Studios crowd is my personal favorite. Not that this demo from Finland’s Fleshred—their second this year—was actually produced by Skogsberg, but it sure as shit wants you to think it was.
At first blush, these dudes sound an awful lot like Hail of Bullets; their pairing of super-massive buzztastic guitars with a crisp, modern rhythm section is aesthetically quite similar to the Dutch rumblers. But upon closer inspection, Fleshred have just a touch of American influence—their songs, like Nightmares Made Flesh-era Bloodbath’s, are just a tad more technical and blast-happy than the prototypical Scandinavian sound.
Fleshred deliver these familiar ingredients with the seamless skill expected of a 21st-century death metal band, and to be honest, that’s all they need to do to put a smile on my face. There’s very little to really set When All Fades apart from the growing heap of lower-tier DM revivalist albums, but Fleshred know that full well, and judging by their stated goal of playing “very basic death metal,” don’t care. If their end justifies the redundant means for you, When All Fades is worth checking out.
At first blush, these dudes sound an awful lot like Hail of Bullets; their pairing of super-massive buzztastic guitars with a crisp, modern rhythm section is aesthetically quite similar to the Dutch rumblers. But upon closer inspection, Fleshred have just a touch of American influence—their songs, like Nightmares Made Flesh-era Bloodbath’s, are just a tad more technical and blast-happy than the prototypical Scandinavian sound.
Fleshred deliver these familiar ingredients with the seamless skill expected of a 21st-century death metal band, and to be honest, that’s all they need to do to put a smile on my face. There’s very little to really set When All Fades apart from the growing heap of lower-tier DM revivalist albums, but Fleshred know that full well, and judging by their stated goal of playing “very basic death metal,” don’t care. If their end justifies the redundant means for you, When All Fades is worth checking out.
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