The Swedish death metal machine known as Bloodbath have been away from the scene for a few years with members Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth), Jonas Renske (Katatonia), Anders Nystrom (Katatonia), Martin Axenrot (Opeth), and Per 'Sodomizer' Eriksson (21 Lucifers, Genocrush Ferox) keeping busy with their main acts, but they are back with a 4-song EP titled Unblessing the Purity, 15 minutes of unbridled old-school Swedish death metal that is designed to hold their fans over till a proposed full-length release later in 2008. So, just how are the four tunes on Unblessing the Purity you ask? Well, for one, it's great to have Akerfeldt back in this band, Sure, Peter Tagtgren did a fine job on 2005's Nightmares Made Flesh, but it's Akerfeldt's classic death metal roar that really fits in with the gore-soaked death metal style of Bloodbath, and he's back with a vengeance on these new tunes. His familiar growls are all over "Blasting the Virginborn" and "Mouth of Empty Praise", supported nicely by the shredding guitar work of new guy Eriksson and Katatonia veteran Nystrom. New Opeth drummer Axenrot also fits right in here, adding plenty of thunderous blast beats & nimble fills throughout this EP, especially so on the track "Weak Aside". For all out, pummeling old-school Swedish death metal, you can't go wrong with "Sick Salvation", a jack-hammer monster of a piece guaranteed to wake the dead.
If Unblessing the Purity is a precursor for what's to come later in the year, then we've all been put on notice for what could be the death metal release of 2008.
Track Listing
1) Blasting the Virginborn
2) Weak Aside
3) Sick Salvation
4) Mouth of Empty Praise
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