Track Listing:
- In Pieces
- Carved To The Bone
- Bloodhammer
- Headless Dawn
- Cadaverous Stench
- Descend To The Beyond
- Death League
- Chained and Dragged
- Defleshed
- The Cemetery Horrors
Released in 2013, Raging Death is easily one of my personal favorite albums of the previous year. Originally formed in the early 1990’s in Sweden, Entrails disbanded before releasing any material. That is, until 2008, when they re-formed and began releasing albums reminiscent of other bands in the death metal scene from years ago. Not that this is a bad thing; in fact, it’s completely the opposite. Raging Death sounds as if it were ripped directly from the early ’90’s, brining old-school Swedish death metal to the forefront again. (Actually, after acquiring this album, I promptly acquired both of Entrail’s other full-length albums, obviously enjoying what I heard). For someone who was just a kid during the rise of the death metal scene in Sweden, being able to hear ‘newer’ bands releasing such material is actually quite exciting.
The album starts with a horror movie-esque intro to ‘In Pieces’, setting the scene for the bombardment of death metal that follows. Raging Death is a ruthless album, slamming the listener with all of the skull-crushing elements you would expect from a death metal band that knows exactly what they’re doing. Entrails aren’t trying to re-invent wheel; rather it feels as if they are working toward death metal perfection. While this album sounds more ‘produced’ than their previous efforts, it works. A more polished approach to production usually works, contrary to what any ‘trve’ black metal musician will tell. (But I suppose this is why I don’t listen to a lot of black metal). All musical elements meld to create a sound that would send most children under the bed to hide, with crunching guitars, heavy drums and bloodthirsty vocals. The slower elements found in some songs balance the relentless drive toward blasting eardrums apart with brutality. Overall, this is a great album.
If you don’t like death metal, Raging Death certainly won’t change your mind. If you do like that old-school Swedish death sound, you’ll like this album. It’s pure savagery from start to finish, reminiscent of the early 90’s, and a piece of near-perfection from the genre. As an added bonus, the artwork is pretty sick too.
