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DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN - And You Will Obey Me
Transcending Obscurity Records
Here we have yet another Rogga Johansson side project. Then again isn't everything he's involved in a side project? OK he's still got PAGANIZER and THE GROTESQUERY. But seriously Rogga has so many oars in the water it's a wonder if he even remembers what he's played before. After so many years of listening to his work I can attest he doesn't.
But serious DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN is a side project Rogga started in 2013 with Dave Ingram of BOLT THROWER fame (amongst other acts he sang for) plus fellow PAGANIZER guitarist Dennis Blomberg. They use a session drummer. This is their third full length together and the second one I've heard. Musically, and I've said this before, Rogga is going for a more straight up death metal version of DISFEAR. Better yet think of this as DIS-PAGANIZER.
Now with all of that said this is still an exceptional release. I mean you've got Dave Ingram belting out incredible vocals while Rogga and Dennis Blomberg totally rip on guitars. From start to finish this is fuckin fantastic. Frankly this is more ENTOMBED meets BOLT THROWER than DISCHARGE. Sure there's a surge of simple hardcore riffage (I'm old and we called it Hardcore before you kids called it crust). In the end I love this.
https://tometal.com/
https://downamongthedeadmen.bandcamp.com/album/and-you-will-obey-me-death-metal-crust
https://www.facebook.com/DownAmongTheDeadMen
THOSE WHO BRING THE TORTURE - Necromancer
Selfmadegod Records
I have this aversion to bands with too many words in their names. They almost always turn out to be some type of 'core' act which makes me want to wretch. Seriously one time I actually choked on my coffee listening to some band with four or five words in their name. I'm pretty sure it was that I WRESTLED A BEAR ONCE band. Their release came in for review years ago. What a horrible band, didn't they all die in a fiery crash?
Which brings us to this one here, THOSE WHO BRING THE TORTURE. Wow what a segue that was. This band's from Sweden, are death metal and have actually been around for quite a while. They released their self titled debut ten fuckin years ago. This is their fifth full length. Look I'm not gonna be a wanna-be know it all douche bag and think wow how did this band escape my death metal radar. Chances are you wouldn't know either. But after seeing who is in this band then the fog starts to lift.
Does the name Rogga Johansson ring a bell? OK probably not but he's also in the death metal super-group THE GROTESQUERY. If that doesn't do it for ya then how bout PAGANIZER? Yeah I know, we all have a copy of Scandinavian Warmachine and if ya don't then get it. But onto this, Rogga (vocals/guitars) and his two cohorts (Dennis Blomberg - lead guitar and Brynjar Helgetun - drums) are basically going through the melodic death motions on here. The first couple of cuts were like mediocre moments of mid-period era GRAVE. In fact the promo info about this cites GRAVE, HYPOCRISY and MALEVOLENT CREATION as relative to what you'll find on here. Yeah on their bad days.
Of course there are some decent fast paced moments on here like "Relics Of A Future Past", "The Morons Are Running The Asylum" and the final cut "Humanity Has Left The Building". Unfortunately a couple of decent songs doesn't cut it. I can appreciate and respect Rogga Johansson for his creativity and dedication to his craft. But you know whenever you spread yourself out so thin you're gonna get overlap as well as boring.
Rating: 2/5
http://selfmadegod.com/
https://selfmadegod.bandcamp.com/album/necromancer
