h33t - Unleashed - Hammer Battalion [rockbox]

Swedish death metal veterans UNLEASHED will release their ninth full-length album, "Hammer Battalion", via SPV Records on the following dates:

June 6: Germany
June 9: Rest of Europe
June 10: USA/Canada

According to the band, "The new UNLEASHED CD will continue in the same victorious spirit as our previous album 'Midvinterblot'."

Vocalist/bassist Johnny Hedlund and company have not only worn their Viking heritage on their sleeve for years, they've also proven to be one of history's most important flag-bearers for metalheads around the globe. At its heart, "Hammer Battalion" serves as a testament to these legions of proud fanatics, and delivers a commanding message loud and clear.

"Rebellion is rising," notes Hedlund when discussing the album's title track. "We will form a number of battalions all over the world with warriors who are not afraid to fight. We are tired of being sitting ducks for bullshit authorities who know nothing better than to oppress us for reasons they won't explain. We will take command of our own lives and get to work. Either like the chameleon — smoothly changing colors to benefit our survival, or by the furious rage of a Viking warrior — whichever suits us best. To the common man, his various pathetic and hollow forms of music is a hobby. Our music is a way of life. Join your local Hammer Battalion or start one yourself!"

Recorded in Sweden and produced by the band's guitarist Fredrik Folkare, "Hammer Battalion" takes a battle-hardened axe to the misguided concepts of self-subjugation, transparent corruption and unneeded suffering in the name of religious figureheads and provides a perfect link between the ancient struggles of their Nordic forefathers and the ills of our modern society. The blistering "The Greatest Of All Lies" and "Long Before Winter's Call" take on old religious myths re-cast as pure fact, while "Your Children Will Burn" serves as a warning of the consequences of blind faith. "Whatever is done in the name of different religions is often done against Mother Nature," notes Hedlund. "And she has the means of striking back."

Check out photos from the recording sessions at this location.

"Hammer Battalion" (cover artwork) track listing (not final order)

01. The Greatest Of All Lies
02. Long Before Winter's Call
03. Your Children Will Burn
04. Hammer Battalion
05. This Day Belongs To Me
06. Marching Off To War
07. Entering The Hall Of The Slain
08. Black Horizon
09. Carved In Stone
10. Warriors Of Midgard
11. Midsummer Solstice
12. Home Of The Brave
13. I Want You Dead

Review of last album, that seems very close to what I am hearing from the new one. I dunno if it’s the buzz-happy guitars, the simple song structures, the growled (rather than gurgled) vocals, or greater emphasis placed on the riff (rather than speed or complexity) that does it, but I’ve got a gigantic soft spot for this kind of death metal. Entombed, Dismember, Grave, Carnage, Edge of Sanity, you name it—if it comes from Stockholm and sounds Skogsberg-y, I’m likely to eat it up. It should come as no surprise, then, that the latest from Swedish diehards Unleashed is treating me quite well. Johnny Hedlund and company have done…well, more or less exactly what you’d figure they’d do. Mindvinterblot is certainly much superior to the band’s mid-nineties-era work, and is at least equivalent—in pretty much every way—to 2004’s Sworn Allegiance.

If that doesn’t sound like much of an endorsement, it might be because Unleashed are suffering somewhat from poor timing. 2006 has seen a number of very strong releases from Unleashed’s immediate peers. Dismember, Amon Amarth, and even Grave have all released their best albums in several years, and Mindvinterblot seems a little flimsy simply because it’s not a marked improvement over its predecessors. But this band has never been much concerned with progression, and as far as I’m concerned, they don’t need to fix what ain’t broke. Unleashed plow through forty-five unbroken minutes of thunderous, groovy goodness here—not even a sample slowing up the riffs on this one—and they’d be at serious risk of pissing off their fanbase if they didn’t. Even those who love this style as much as I do might start to drift after the tenth or eleventh three-minute thrash-informed tirade, but Mindvinterblot isn’t exactly an album that demands to be listened to from start to finish. This is best taken little bits at a time; throw on a track or two, soak in the massive grooves, choppy Slayer-isms and the hairy-chested soloing, and move on before you start thinking about how great Like An Everflowing Stream was.

Not that any of this means a damn thing to Johnny Hedlund; dude was in Nihilist and as far as he’s concerned pretty much anyone else is a death metal newbie by comparison. And it’s tough to discount that veneration here. Tracks like ridiculously Tolkien-inspired and ridiculous catchy “We Must Join With Him” show off the band’s ability to craft instrumental hooks (check that chorus!), and “Valhalla Awaits” gives Amon Amarth’s “Valhalla Awaits Me” a serious run for its coinage. And, of course, there’s the rollicking midpaced crushers: “Mindvinterblot,” “The Avenger,” “The Witch,” and “Age of the Warrior” all bring that endlessly enjoyable buzz in spades. Though this was produced by Fredrik Folkare at Chrome Studios instead of by Skogsberg at Sunlight, Mindvinderblot sounds authentic through and through—which, arguably, is what this album’s all about. Unleashed almost certainly won’t be recruiting many new fans with this one, but those of you who long for the pre-Wolverine Blues days of Stockholm death metal (and I know you’re out there) will dig this for sure.

Enjoy this prerelease of a great Viking Death metal band.

Seed til you bleed

It was brought to my attention the bite rate is not consistent with what my winamp displays it as, some songs will have a lower bit rate then others. My apologies , this release has a various bite rate.

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Music

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