Eldfödd – The Night Belongs to the Dead (Swedish Death Metal Royalty)
Hmm, when did I last sample the sweet sounds of Swedish death metal? So many great names have fallen under this special category, and many are royalty now. But, let us see… Sad, it’s been roughly two years since such sanctified metal history has been considered worthy of this site, but you know the standards, and I must stick by them. Those standards, however, had little to fear from Sweden’s Eldfödd. We could consider the fact that it consists of members of some of the most influential acts in the genre, but sliced and reattached into a monstrosity that both sits in the current era and yet stretches its sinews past the usual physicality we expect. The Night Belongs to the Dead is the band’s first official full-length after a slew of critically lauded demo work and a single EP, and it is time to allow Sweden to rise once more, at least in the eyes of this site.
This particular release at once clearly distinguishes itself as a work fashioned by capable hands. The years of experience behind even something as simple as the intro makes this entirely evident. A recognizable feature, however, is the production, which balances the raw energy of the old school Swedish brand of death metal with a much brighter sound, if one may permit my usage of this terminology. This enables riffs to both resonate in the ear canal yet drive away life with their reek of death. If there’s any fault here it’s that Eldfödd remain extremely consistent, their royal status leading to much expectation but with this new monarchy comes the inevitable formative period that is The Night Belongs to the Dead. Truthfully, it works well as a whole, without any single track standing upon the others, relying more on the overall presentation. This is a much different approach than most, and after running through the entirety of it, which is slightly under 30 minutes, it manages to sound like an hour or longer. The tracks have a striking similarity to one another, yet they feature a great deal of nuance even after a tenth listen sounds brand new. This alone allows these guys to rise above the usual dead of the cemetery so well-worn over the decades of the genre. With their experience, the future of Swedish death metal seems rather promising in spite of a cycle of being unearthed.
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
Eldfödd – The Night Belongs to the Dead
Edged Circle Productions
Cover Art: Timbul Cahyono (Bvllmetalart)
4.1 / 5
