Swedish Metal

Carnal Savagery – Crypt of Decay Review

By Steel Druhm on November 28, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, 19 comments

“Advanced scientific studies indicate that the style of metal known as “Swedeath” will not die and may, in fact, be incapable of being killed. The foundation created by Entombed and Dismember in the early 90s cemented the “Stockholm Sound” so deeply in musical bedrock that forecasters predict it could function like an everflowing stream for untold aeons. Enter Sweden’s Carnal Savagery. This gruesome duo have gone in big on the Swedeath formula, releasing 6 albums of it since 2020, all of which pay loving homage to the genre’s forefathers.” Back to the crypts of the dismembered entombed.

Bloodbound – Field of Swords Review

By Baguette of Bodom on November 21, 2025 in Reviews, Power Metal, 24 comments

“Bloodbound has always been a band with a confusing identity. These Swedes lit up a storm with debut Nosferatu in 2006, an underappreciated heavy/power gem fusing the best of Iron Maiden’s gallops with the hooks of Helloween and HammerFall. The golden pipes of Urban Breed (ex-Tad Morose) were the cherry on top. However, the curse of unstable lineups would strike. Urban Breed would leave for one album, rejoin for the odd-but-good, progpower-meets-Kalmah melodeath sound of Tabula Rasa, and promptly leave again. A decade of struggles followed.” Blood on the 20-sided dice.

Mezzrow – Embrace the Awakening Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on November 17, 2025 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 29 comments

“With age and wisdom, it appears this quintet is looking to make an impact decades after the heydays of this unique flavor of thrash came and went. The energy, since the release of Summon Thy Demons, must continue to surge in their veins because I’m back to deliver a review of this year’s Embrace the Awakening. While none of their albums are terrible by any means, will the ‘third-times-the-charm’ bring Mezzrow the breakout success they seek?” Makin’ a Mezz.

Nils Patrik Johansson – War and Peace Review

By Andy-War-Hall on October 28, 2025 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 38 comments

“Nils Patrik Johansson has sung in metal bands for almost as long as I’ve done anything on this Earth. Lending his gritty, commanding voice to acts like Astral Doors, Wuthering Heights, and Civil War since 2002, NPJ is someone with history behind him, as well as a man with history on the mind. War and Peace, the third album of his eponymous act Nils Patrik Johansson, offers forty minutes of epically inclined heavy/power metal, themed primarily on history. Topics range from the two World Wars and Gustav Vasa’s Rebellion to matters like environmentalism and his love for Hungarian rock music.” Sabaton killer or war filler?

Sabaton – Legends Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on October 27, 2025 in Reviews, Power Metal, 49 comments

“Fuck you, I know this is late. But it ain’t my fault. We never got the damn promo now that Sabaton is signed to… Better Noise Music…? A label that apparently has as many metal bands on its roster as it does Sabatons. So… one. After releasing their decent 2022 release, The War to End All Wars, these Swedish warmongers are back with a brand new concept they’ve never done before. Just kidding, Legends is still about war and shit.” War forever MOAR.

An Abstract Illusion – The Sleeping City Review

By Killjoy on October 15, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, 144 comments

“When a group strikes gold, I imagine that there might be a temptation to continue mining the same vein. In 2022, Sweden’s An Abstract Illusion seized the metalverse by the collective throat and shook it with forceful pathos. Woe was a start-to-finish progressive death metal masterpiece which edged out some stiff competition to take the number one spot on my personal Top Ten(ish) list that year. The same was true for Carcharodon, whose mighty shoes—flippers?—I humbly struggle to fill. Now, with the release of The Sleeping City, An Abstract Illusion boldly declares that they are not content to repeat themselves.” Illusion and concrete.

Orbit Culture – Death Above Life Review

By Dear Hollow on October 3, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 60 comments

“Orbit Culture is a stellar band, so 2023’s Descent should have been an AOTY contender. An all-killer, no-filler blend of melodeath and thrash with a dark industrial edge sounds like a hodge-podge in the worst ways, but the Swedes have made it their brand with a fluidity that has defined them from the beginning. In this way, the quartet showed their songwriting prowess, with tracks like “Black Mountain” and “The Aisle of Fire” leading the charge in the death/thrash riffage that we’ve all come to know and love. But while the claustrophobic mix provided 2020’s Nija a bloodthirsty darkness, it made Descent impenetrable in its compressed muck – sinking it from formidable to forgettable.” From orbit to stuck in the mud.

Ofermod – Drakosophia Review

By Angry Metal Guy on September 29, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, 46 comments

“The occupational hazard of reviewing music is a love of novelty. At a certain point, you have heard the same riffs so many times that you can fall asleep to even the most unhinged blast attack. This bias should raise problems for a band like Ofermod, known for playing black metal of the most orthodox variety.” Drakosophistry from The Big Man Himself.

Vintersorg – Vattenkrafternas spel Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on September 24, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Progressive Metal, Viking Metal, 24 comments

“After releasing the sequel to their debut record in 2017, things have been quiet on the Vintersorg front. But now they are back with Vattenkrafternas spel sets out to take that same infusion of the Vintersorg of old with the Vintersorg of new that we heard from Till fjälls del II. Which I can’t complain about, considering I love it when the band knocks out some of those nasty black metal licks. Not that they have abandoned those influences in the last decade or so, but it’s a touch more prevalent on Vattenkrafternas spel. But, how far will they go, and how well will it work?” Early vinter chills.

Jord – Emellan Träden Review

By Killjoy on September 11, 2025 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Post-Metal, 31 comments

“Jord began life in pretty much the exact way one would expect of an atmospheric black metal act. Founder Jörgen “Jurg” Ström would take daily walks through the forests of Sweden during fall 2020, during which he decided to start a nature-oriented musical endeavor. He quickly released two albums, Sol and Måne, on his own before recruiting guitarist Sebastian “Hravn” Svedlund and drummer Stefan Jansson, both of whom he had briefly performed with in Rimfrost and its splinter group Omnicidal. They worked together to create Tundra in 2023, and now look to extend their productive streak with Emellan Träden, Jord’s fourth full-length record in five years.” Forest packaging.