I must say Roger “Rogga” Johansson is one of the hardest working musicians in the extreme metal field. Hailing from Sweden, Johansson has an impressive list of credits pioneering a sound in many extreme/death and grindcore outfits. I couldn’t name them all, but a few notable acts such as Fondlecorpse, Bone Gnawer, Paganizer and Ribspreader have all been graced with the guitarist’s presence. He clearly has a passion for the cacophony of the dead arising from their graves and this pedigree of chaotic sounds serves him well in a new venture called Humanity Delete.
Humanity Delete began life in 2003 in which demo material was recorded and ultimately put aside. Johansson has since resurrected the project in 2012 and with the help of Jill Girardi (writing lyrics) and Lasse Pyykko (from Hooded Menace fame) handling quest solos, this project has finally come to fruition. The group recorded 12 tracks of old-school death metal with a hint of grindcore/punk, with the end result being Never Ending Nightmares, a most fitting title if there was ever one to be had.
The recorded material has been described by Johansson as paranormal, post-apocalyptic death metal, so Girardi (a resident living in Malaysia) was asked to pen lyrics with the theme of Asian ghosts and creepy legends. With this in mind, songs like “The Jenglot” chronicles the mysterious vampire creature found in Indonesian culture, and the theme continues into “Pontianak” (ghost vampire) and “The Retribution of the Polong” (enslaved ghost in Malay). All these songs help to accentuate the paranormal aspects found on this release, giving the music a creepy overlay throughout most of the tracks.
As for the musical component found on Never Ending Nightmares, the old-school death metal ethos is front and center. The horrific tandem of grinding sounds and blast beats can be heard in abundance on “Black Oil Defiler” and “Dismal Corridors.” The grinding tone gets even nastier on “Resurrection Rites” and like a raging beast charging from the darkest depths, “Necromantic Sorcery” truly hits home. Arguably the strongest track on the release, the middle section is deliriously hideous sounding and it’s guaranteed to get the hair on the back of your neck standing upright!
Never Ending Nightmares is a rather short affair, clocking in at just a bit over 27 minutes. Don’t let the short running time fool you though because this debut release is like a rabid dog and teeming with a vicious assault. There’s plenty of bite to go around and Johansson is a one man wrecking crew, probably demonically possessed by a Malaysian evil spirit to boot. Humanity Delete is a band to watch out for.
(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)