Unleashed, slamming down Mjöllnir since 1989. The Swedes have been incredibly prolific during their reign and this is no less than their eleventh studio album. The other remarkable thing about this horde is that in all this time they have had only two line-up changes. Johnny Hedlund has been at the helm since practically the start when he took over from Robert Sennebäck way back in 1990 and has led them into glory ride with brave songs that are fit for kings and even the gods themselves. Of course the Swedes are very much into their Viking heritage and have again embraced it here; shaking Yggdrasil the tree of life and finding 12 new songs have come tumbling down from its branches.
As usual they are fired out in quick succession, Unleashed have always been about the immediate rather than the epic and they battle away fast and furiously here. ‘Courage Today, Victory Tomorrow’ is the first battle cry starting slowly and limbering up to attack, with a fetid death grunt it rolls into action. Plenty of groove here and the hoary vocals are elongated with a wolverine snarl about them, melody is thick and fast and the chorus is a subtle one but a warning to any warrior thinking of fleeing from the forthcoming battle. There’s time for a spiralling guitar solo but this is only perhaps the group hug before things really get underway with ‘So It Begins’ which enters the fray at a headlong gallop. If this one doesn’t get your fists pounding they must have been chopped off at the wrists, this is a strumming attack with a killer flurry forging through it and a great chorus. ‘Hammer Battalion’ a couple of years ago was good and the band have never fired any blanks but there is a renewed urgency about this and the twin guitar attack is as savage as anything we have heard by these warriors before. The title track is a bit slower and more majestic, frosty and cold even and whatever pace this band play at it seems they can do little wrong. With the words “Battalions of the world, are you ready,” one wonders what can come next? Well it’s ‘Wir Kapitulieren Niemals’ which I guess translates as the songs repetitive rallying cry ‘Viking Death Metal,’ guaranteed to have you singing along when they play it at a festival this summer. I do admit I was glad when I suddenly realised the word was ‘Viking’ embarrassed to say I misheard it first time around.
The good thing (as ever) about this album is that it packs so much in and only clocks in around the 45 minute mark. It is a totally accessible album chock full of great pounding rhythms and catchy melodies and choruses, there is little that you could not enjoy about this. Hell you can even interpret all the vocals clearly and sing along with them if you so wish. Other classics in the making included here are ‘Return Fire’ which does exactly as it says on the sight before it gets you clean between the eyes and blows your brains out. As for the growly closer and longest track ‘Cannibalistic Epidemic Continues,’ well there is plenty to sink your teeth into there. Apparently the full album comes with a cover of Death’s ‘Evil Dead’ too, seriously what more do you need?
http://www.unleashed.se
http://www.myspace.com/unleashed
