Vomitory
Redemption
[Fadeless]


The Göteborg circuit has indeed been a subject for much debate over the past 4 or 5 years, and for good reason. Many metal enthusiasts cannot come to grips with the fact that something so lightweight and whimsical could evolve from the likes of Dissection, Grotesque, Sorcery, Séance, Carnage, Nihilist and early Entombed. I share their sentiments for the most part, and another perplexing question comes to mind: why does all the commercial attention fall on such nonsense like In Flames and other tepid Maiden-emulation when amazing Swedish dødsmetall outfits like Deranged and Vomitory roam the land?

This is the first Vomitory record I’ve heard, after I read of several comparisons with Deranged and Grotesque. I don’t see very much of either band here, save perhaps for the straightforward, no-frills approach of Deranged. This forsakes any fancy, tangential nonsense for some very straight-forward, pedal to the metal, semi-melodic *Swedish* death metal.

Sonically fitting in very nicely with other contemporaries like Murder Corporation (a side project that these blokes have formed, amazing old-school death metal), Deranged and such, this is indeed how Swedish metal should, and would have sounded, if At The Gates didn’t meet with so much commercial attention. Deviating from the above thesis, the Vomitory formula is one consisting of crushing, thrash-infected and semi-melodic riffage, rather legible yet guttural death grunts, all taped together with some tight and brutal rhythms.

The guitars always retain a sense of melody, one that is more akin to the more brutal moments of Centinex or Coercion’s latest work (“Delete”, another essential purchase, I feel) than Grotesque or Sorcery, without ever stooping to the abysmal depths of most SweDeath tripe. Often blasting forward at breakneck speed, there is nary a reprieve from this high-octane cruelty, save for the occasional melodic lead guitar ditty or devastating breakdown. Everything does get a tad stale as the album draws to a close though, but for sheer energy, tenacity and honesty, and the fact that they don’t subscribe to the American sound, this earns a hearty thumbs up from me.

A definite refreshing alternative from most Swedish death metal, and proof positive that incredible old-school death metal does still reside on Swedish shores. Forsaking any aesthetic appeal or elegance, this is abrasive old school Scandinavian death metal at its finest, and I look to more quality material from them soon.

[ 8 ]


© 2000 equimanthorn