We've said it before, and we'll say it again-Sweden is sure pumping out the metal these days. The Bereaved is another in a long line of melodic death metal bands coming out of the area, and Darkened Silhouette is their debut album out on Black Lotus Records. This is some pretty grisly yet melodic stuff here, as The Bereaved churn out plenty of tasty and catchy guitar riffs that are saturated with keyboards at times, yet the vocals of guitarist Johny Westerback take a little getting used to. He has a garbled screech that is hard to digest at times, as he is a tad less accessible than some of his contemporaries in other Swedish bands. Still, there's no denying the power in some of these songs, like "Vital Organ Theft", "Angels Ablaze", and "Devil's Deal", which have great guitar and keyboard melodies. However, there are too many songs here that tend to sound the same after repeated listens, as they contain riffs and drum work that get a little tiresome. Maybe next time out the band can find themselves a front man, and use some of their obvious skills to come up with some stronger material. The talent is there, now let's see them grow.
Track Listing
1) Soaked Mud Remain
2) Silverspoon
3) The Bereaved
4) Vital Organ Theft
5) Hollow Child
6) My Dying Bride
7) Pathetic
8) Devil's Deal
9) Angels Ablaze
10) Fatal Human Rapture
11) Lines in Shape
12) The Abyss
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