Featuring members from Paradise Lost, Katatonia, Opeth and Craft, Sweden’s shadiest death cult Bloodbath is the supergroup that every death metal acolyte dreams of and the long anticipated new album “The Arrow Of Satan Is Drawn”, the second with Old Nick on vocals, promises total sonic annihilation.
“Fleischmann” is simply vicious revolving around the sheer brutality of incessant rhythmic blasts featuring the expected relentless guitar riffing galore and plummeting drums within a claustrophobic mood where the brief darkened guitar melodies represent the only feeble sense of hope.
Straight to the point “Wayward Samaritan” offers loads of fast anthemic death metal grooves with the right dosage of chunky bass lines and ravenous riffage that will eventually slow down just to allow the guitar leads to stand out and Old Nick doesn’t disappoint delivering plenty of hellish growls.
Since the beginning the putrid sonic realm of “Levitator” features merciless monolithic guitar work naturally channeling absolute horror and other terrifying feelings fully amplified by gruesome growls and sinister atmospheric arrangements.
The old school approach of “Deader” is immediately evident as guitars diligently follow a savage rampage, often with breakneck speed, with belligerent riffs leading to a series of purely aggressive rhythmic assaults invigorated by blistering soloing.
Monstrous guitar driven grooves lead the way on “Only The Dead Survive” fueled by a familiar primordial energy that generates ominous blackened rhythmic variations through the expected classic approach with wicked riffing and thunderous drumming.
Despite the title “Chainsaw Lullaby” is definitely not a lullaby but rather sounds like a horror gore/slasher soundtrack as evil screams and infectious guitar riffs confidently build blood splattered grooves that don’t really need excessive speed but definitely benefit from the underlying solemn atmospheric darkness.
If you are in the mood for uncompromising old school death metal you will be delighted by “The Arrow Of Satan Is Drawn” but it should be noted that this time Bloodbath’s music feels a bit more adventurous adding a dramatic momentum to the truly nightmarish soundscape.