RUNEMAGICK - Beyond the Cenotaph of Mankind review

 

RUNEMAGICK - Beyond the Cenotaph of Mankind

Hammerheart Records

Once again Hammerheart Records breaths new life into an old band that I like. RUNEMAGICK were a damm good Swedish death doom act from the late 1990's. Actually they started out earlier in the decade but their debut full length release, The Supreme Force of Eternity, came out in 1998. The band put out three classic albums, in my not so humble opinion, on Century Media Records from 1998 to 2000. 

After that it was pretty much silence for me at least. The band kept going on releasing a handful of albums over the years on Norway's Aftermath Music. Unfortunately I was not following a long. It wasn't until 2018 when I rekindled my love for this band when I heard that year's newest one Evoked from Abysmal Sleep. Yeah the title of the album speaks volumes as well as the music. The follow up Into Desolate Realms from 2019 was decent. But now after another long wait we now have Beyond the Cenotaph of Mankind. 

What you've got here is a six song release that comes across just as dangerous sounding as the band was back in the day. But there's this thick menacing atmosphere prevailing upon everything. Mainman Nicklas Rudolfsson's (guitar & vocals) always had a death doom vision which was epic, powerful and driving. The combination of his deep diabolical vocals and driving hypnotic riffs sets you on a wild ride.   

Along for that one is bassist Emma Rudolfsson who has stuck with RUNEMAGICK since 2000. Her bass lines are magnificent on here. Next up you've got Jonas Blom who use to be on drums back in the glory days. But now is supplying guitar work which slides in like a dynamic malice. And of course Daniel Moilanen an amazing drummer for Katatonia is here. 

RUNEMAGICK in 2023 is in a word majestic. I mean here's a band that has learned the finesse of including atmospheric tech style into the old school death metal framework. They haven't moved beyond the threshold of what they know how to do best. Yes this is slow crushing death doom with a touch of groove, some cool moments that ride along and plenty of punishing vocals. I'm glad to be back with ya.

https://www.hammerheart.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://runemagick.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-the-cenotaph-of-mankind-2

RUNEMAGICK - Beyond the Cenotaph of Mankind review

 

RUNEMAGICK - Beyond the Cenotaph of Mankind

Hammerheart Records

RUNEMAGICK are not just a old death doom band from Sweden. They are a fucking institution. This band started out in the early 1990's and in 1998 finally came out with their amazing debut, The Supreme Force of Eternity. A year later they followed that up with another killer album, Enter the Realm of Death. Those two albums are fuckin classics in my not so humble opinion. 2000's Resurrection in Blood was also good but it would be their last album for Century Media Records. 

No problem because the band kept going with still some good albums from 2002 to 2007. Seven albums in all in that time span and then it got quiet. That's probably when RUNEMAGICK became dead to fans outside of Sweden. I'm talking so dead that no one knew they put out an album in 2018 aptly titled Evoked from Abysmal Sleep. I did know about 2019's Into Desolate Realms and was not thrilled by it. 

So here we are a few years later and RUNEMAGICK is now on Hammerheart Records which is a cool label that some how resurrects old bands. And this new one by the band is pretty damm good. RUNEMAGICK has this fresh and exciting sound on this their thirteenth full length. Fuck they open with an eleven plus minute opus titled "Archaic Magick" which drags you across jagged razors. I mean this whole album with just six cuts is a cross of being early stuff combined with their latter doom epicness. 

Of course you've still got a band that's been together since 2000. Original member, guitar and vocalist Nicklas Rudolfsson has become like a bear out of hibernation sounding singer. His strained riffs ooze of horrific terror. Add to that you've still got the rhythm section of Emma Rudolfsson on thunderous bass and Daniel Moilanen on funeral marching drums. Plus former drummer and now guitarist Jonas Blom sets forth some timely chimes which push forth the eerie. 

In the end this is the band's best album they've done in decades. To a point they still adhere to some early DM touches. But for the rest of the way it's a horrific atmosphere of hellish sounds which many modern bands learned from RUNEMAGICK's previous works. Right now these Swedes have come back to show the kids how it's really done. Beyond the Cenotaph of Mankind is easily one of my favorite releases of 2023. 

https://www.hammerheart.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://runemagick.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-the-cenotaph-of-mankind-2