
Of all Rogga Johansson's projects, this is likely the one with the most high profile collaborators. The incomparable Dan Swanö performs the keyboards and leads, Ed Warby of Gorefest, Hail of Bullets and many others (including The 11th Hour band with Rogga) is on the drums, Johan Berglund (Ribspreader, The Grotesquery) on bass, and some added, clean vocals are contributed by Pär Johansson of Satariel, The Few Against Many, and so forth. Rogga adds the brutal vocals and guitars, and the sound evoked is pretty reminiscent of the earlier work of another Swedish all-star team, Bloodbath (connected here through Swanö). As with any of these 'one degree of separation' acts, you can expect the collective experience of its members to shine through in the songwriting, and Slakthus Gamleby is no exception. Carefully crafted, evil death metal rhythms wind through atmospheric phrases, synthesizers are used to a great, bombastic effect, rounding out the deathly core, and the band even explores a little of the doom element of the Rogga/Warby project The 11th Hour on a track like "Travellers of the Vortex". The strength of the melodies here might also remind one of another project both Rogga and Swanö have been involved with, the mighty Edge of Sanity.
The band keep it simple, and they keep it fun through the steady chugging of "Life is a Coma", glazed in one of the most clear and punchy guitar tones I've heard from Sweden in years. Simple grooves abound and Rogga does his best to channel the thick vocals akin to Swanö or Mikael from Opeth. The girlish clean vocals did throw me for a loop, and were completely unnecessary here, but they do at least function over the music and it's not a major distraction. "Death Grasp Oblivion" is a better track with some melodic power/death that busts out into this truly grisly old school riff to die for. "Travellers of the Vortex" is slower, almost a death/doom piece, while The Cold Hand of Death feels comparable to some of Rogga's other bands ala Ribspreader or Carve, with the added element of the keyboards. Other highlights include the strangely uplifting melodic froth of "Cold Skin" and the grooving, measured mystique of "From Laughter to Retching".
Slakthus Gamleby is a more accessible effort than either of the previous records. There is simply no denying the studio polish here, nor the friendly composition, but it still maintains the evil intentions of the genre, they're simply 'fluffed up' by the atmospheric ingredients. Rogga's voice sounds fantastic, if derivative of the better known vocals of some of his Swedish contemporaries, and it's great to hear Dan playing the synths like he did on his solo record Moontower. The rhythm section is ample, and thankfully the clean vocals are not overused. I had a pretty great time listening to this, though I won't say the individual riffs are always that impressive, and the album is not incredibly memorable, but if you enjoy the first few releases of Bloodbath, or Edge of Sanity's The Spectral Sorrows or Purgatory Afterglow, then this is worth a listen and perhaps a purchase.
Verdict: Win [8/10]
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