Mr. Rogga Johansson has so many projects going on at the present time that Dead Rhetoric wonders if the Swede rolls out of bed, tunes up his Pro-Tools, and records another album. The frequency in which Johansson spits out records would certainly suggest as such, with 2012 seeing the man be a part of eight – yes – eight albums. That’s enough for a career; some bands can’t even get to their sophomore album, yet hears ‘old Rogga, cranking ‘em out. Too bad Megascavenger is a carbon copy of his Ribspreader, Revolting, and Humanity Delete outfits…he would have scored some bonus points for being creative.
Predictably as such, Megascavenger and their Descent of Yuggoth album falls underneath the classic Swedish death metal banner. Johansson, along with drummer Brynjar Helgetum have created a meaty, thoroughly ripping affair, highlighted by guest vocal appearances from the likes of Dan Swano (Edge of Sanity, Bloodbath), Mark Grewe (Morgoth, Insidious Disease), Jorgen Sandstrom (Grave, Entombed), and Master’s Paul Speckmann. In what could have a been a quasi-nod to the various “all-star” power metal operas, Descent of Yuggoth has a sharp degree of uniformity, only because very few death metal vocalists have identity. Swano and Grewe do; the rest do not, and neither do many of Johansson’s riffs, which sound like they were peeled from the Tascam’s of Dismember and the aforementioned Grave.
A great idea on paper, Johansson would be advised to save his good ideas for one band and/or project. Spreading oneself too thin has never done anyone any good…especially in the ever-restrictive world of death metal.