Vanhelgd‘s newest album, Atropos Doctrina, has everything a reviewer would expect from a Swedish death metal band: the hard-to-pronounce name, the paganism, the cool art. What’s not to like? If anything, I was just concerned that this album would be another consistent and dirty 40+ minutes of music from the north. I always say before starting these reviews: if I get another Swedish band that wants to sound like Entombed or Dismember, I’m going to score it below 2.5 (and get canceled by the metal world in the process, of course). So, is Vanhelgd going to get me banned from the socials again, or is there hope?
I’ve gotta give it to Vanhelgd: this album sounds immersive. You can find some of the tropes typical of the Swedish school, but they’re all mixed in their own strange way. I like the fact that Atropos is perverse and diabolical without abusing blast beats or scraping the guitar harder than when you scrape cheese for your frozen pizza in a sad attempt to give it more flavor. Take the rawness and hostility of Asphyx and mix it with the dense and gross (in a pleasant way!) atmosphere Desolate Shrine can create, and you get an idea of what Atropos is going for. Ok, there’s some Entombed here too, but I feel particularly merciful as I write this paragraph.
Atropos‘ production decisions are what set it apart, in my not-so-humble opinion. It’s muddy and damp, but it’s all with the purpose of giving it that occult feeling. Add that the whole album is in Swedish, and you have a full devilish experience with pummeling riffs. Or, in case you speak Swedish, you’ll listen to turbulent times, death, stillborns, and just your average Nordic life experience before we invented penicillin, I guess. Fun stuff! However, what I appreciated the most was how every track wrapped up. Once you thought you heard all the bashing, Vanhelgd would surprise you with some gorgeous and heartbreaking melodic leads.
If I had any problems with the album, it would be the fact that despite how much I loved the way they finished, I did feel they were slightly long in the middle. A bit too much repetition of those nasty riffs. I’d love to hear Vanhelgd exploring its melodic side more. Perhaps there’s something like this in their previous releases, but I’m trying to judge this on its own. I can also feel how people who dislike MeloDeath or people who dislike old school death metal will both be alienated since Atropos doesn’t decide between them. It sits right in the middle.
So, am I going to execute Atropos for being too Entombed? Not this time. The album takes enough from everywhere else to be an interesting listen and to let us know that this is a talented group of musicians who aren’t afraid of mixing things up. Now, go out there and try to add new tricks to your old routine! It’d do wonders for your declining brain.
Label: Dark Descent Records
Release date: 12 July, 2024
Website: https://www.facebook.com/vanhelgd
Country: Sweden
Score: A melodic atmosphere that lingers within you, or maybe 3.5/5.0 for the unholy
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