Nightrage "Sweet Vengeance" CD
[Century Media]
I must say that this is surprisingly one of the best melodic Swedish death metal records that I've heard in along time - ironic seeing that chief songwriter and guitarist Marios Iliopoulos (ex-Exhumation) originally formed the band years ago in his native Greece, eventually transplanting his activities to Gothenburg. I'll be totally honest in admitting that the main reason I wanted to check this record out was because Tomas Lindberg handles the vocals, and it didn't hurt that the lineup is rounded out by guitarist Gus G. (Dream Evil), clean vocalist Tom S. Englund (Evergrey), and The Haunted's Per Jensen sitting in on drums. But now that I've got the record I regret waiting so long to pick it up. Is it original? Nah. It sounds a lot like "Slaughter of the Soul" blended with the left of center melodic tendencies of Gardenian's "Soulburner", but the riffs are fucking sweet and the songwriting is top notch for this genre. Englund's impeccable singing really adds a nice counter to Lindberg's token sneer as well. "The Glow of the Setting Sun" is by far the most masterful track on the record, complete with killer rhythms, slick solos, and bright acoustic guitars to close things out. Then on "Circle of Pain" Englund actually takes more of a lead vocal role, and the track is driven by clean guitars for large segments. The recording is fucking killer, too. Everything is loud and clear, with dense, warm tones and a strong mix. The bass tends to get lost, but guitars dominate, the vocals sound as strong as ever, and the drums hold things down. I especially love the thickness of the guitar tone, it's not overly heavy, but it sounds really smooth both for clean leads and powerful dual guitar melodies. Visually this looks really good. I'm not really sure what the imagery used is supposed to represent, but it all looks consistent and professional so I'm not complaining. Lyrically the songs are pretty brief, some using better phrasing than others. "At the ends of the earth I don't want to be drowned, through the emptiness of non-existence. At the ends of the earth the seas of eternal silence, invocations of the testimony of the cursed Gods." I can't imagine fans of this genre not enjoying this. It's not groundbreaking, it's nothing new or innovative, it's just a set of good songs that are enjoyable to listen to. I'm all for it. (7/10)
Running time - 41:38, Tracks: 11
[Notable tracks: The Glow of the Setting Sun, Hero, Circle of Pain]
Nightrage - http://www.nightrage.com

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