Swamp

Underground Manifesto 

Atolinga Records 2014

(Un)Holy shit!  The new album from Greek godz, Swamp, is such a paean to old school death/thrash/black metal that I am left scorched to a cinder.  I loved their debut album, but this one leaves it in the dust.  Elements of Morbid Angel, Possessed, and early era Greek masters Rotting Christ/Varathron abound within the songwriting here and sear your flesh with scathing riffs and ravenous vocals.  After a chilling intro of Gregorian chant and demented horror music ritual opera, we are completely obliterated by a maelstrom of old school death and thrash that savagely eviscerates the listener with sharp riffs and quick-turn drum blasts on Rest In Pit.  The manner in which the guitars shift from speedy blasts to thrash gallops then to meaty grooves is divine.  The title-track is up next and is aggressive and catchy at the same time.  I am mildly reminded of early Slayer coupled with death metal flourishes.  Necrosadistic Disorders is unrelenting in its ferocious assault of blackened thrash riffage.  Warp-speed blasts of razor-wire brutality streak from your speakers but then the track drops into infectious grooves and spiraling drum patterns.  A slower, gloomier initial passage paints Slow As Death before picking up into a charging segment that sets the stage for an eruption of blackened death.  The album closer is a tribute of sorts to the early Greek black metal scene.  Riffs that are reminiscent of that golden era swarm around the track Outbreaking The Boundaries Of Everlasting.  The best way to frame the style is Rotting Christ's Thy Mighty Contract if it were performed by Angelcorpse.  It is purely majestic, yet raw and aggressive stuff.  Swamp has crafted not only an album that is an ode to the past with a freshness within its relentless barrage, but also one of my albums of the year.