Paganizer – On the Outskirts of Hades (Transcending Obscurity Records)
Sunday, 24th July 2016
This far into the game, you know what you are going to be getting with a Paganizer release. With countless full-lengths, EPs, and splits under their belt (check out the impressive listing at Metal Archives), the band isn’t about to do a 180 and release a stoner rock album. Old school Swedish death metal arrives once more, but will easily satiate the faithful.
Easily one of the busiest men in the underground metal scene, Rogga Johansson again leads the way with more heavily influenced Entombed/Dismember-isms, but it doesn’t mean it’s not worth checking out. In fact, the short 4-song EP actually benefits from the time crunch, pushing as much Swedish crunch and slight melodies as they can into the overall package. “Angry all the Time” is a fitting opener (and title), slowly escalating from slower pacing to an all-out rampage by the time it gets going, setting the stage for the other three songs to follow suit, doing a strong job of providing some varied tempos as some melodies weave into the mix for countering the otherwise extreme death metal assault.
No need to really dwell on the nooks and crannies on this one. Paganizer continues to plow forward and remind all about the glories of ‘90s Sweden and its surrounding scene. The EP formatting helps ensure that it feels fresh from beginning to end and maintains maximum brutality. If you have enjoyed their previous releases, it’s a no brainer that you will get some thrills with On the Outskirts of Hades.
