Metalcatto
There’s something you need to know about me as a proud Stockholmer: I can’t miss a chance to make fun of Gothenburg. So you can imagine my disappointment when I got LOMMI‘s 667788 (or as I like to call it, grandpa’s password) and not a single member was named Glenn or Jimmy. You’d have to be deep in the culture to get that joke. Still, I promised myself I’d put my prejudice aside and give this Heavy/Groove Metal outfit a fair shot. Will I be biased because of city rivalries? Absolutely. But I’ll try to behave.
To my surprise, 667788 turned out way groovier than expected. There were moments where I thought I was listening to a less intoxicated, less chaotic version of Pantera. The songs carry themselves with a loose swagger, more interested in making you headbang than dragging you through emotional wreckage. It feels almost intergenerational—something both the elders and the newer crowd can latch onto. The album tries to stay dynamic across its runtime, offering enough shifts in tempo and feel to avoid monotony. The riffs may not break new ground, but they serve their purpose without stumbling. I wouldn’t call this commercial, but after all the impossible avant-garde albums you send me, this one feels like a palate cleanser.
Now, some of it does come across as a little edgy—but more “cool dad with a leather jacket” than “misanthropic teenager in corpse paint.” And that’s perfectly fine. These are mean riffs paired with lyrics about struggles and survival, not Baudelaire-level poetry. This is dry, hot-weather Heavy Metal that fits perfectly in your car stereo on a weekend drive. And for once, I don’t have major gripes with the production. It could be a bit dirtier to match the tone, but it’s clean in a way that still lets the guitars and vocals carry the weight. No complaints there.
That said, it’s time to drop the hammer—gently. I’m not totally sold on the vocals. They lean toward bombastic more than brutal, which might make sense for a more traditional Heavy Metal band, but it clashes a bit with the groove-oriented backdrop here. Also, some tracks—Down in particular—feel too close to their Pantera inspirations. I’m not against homage, but if you’re going to go that route, give me some wild solos or bigger dynamic shifts. Right now, LOMMI seems a bit too committed to staying within their riff-first comfort zone. The vocals, which have a Mastodon-esque flair, carry more of the melody than the guitars, and I’m not sure that was the right trade.
I was all ready to mock Gothenburg and throw this under the bus, but dammit, LOMMI didn’t embarrass the city. 667788 may not be my go-to style, but there’s enough punch here for fans of direct, no-nonsense Metal. This is the kind of album you could show to your dad or uncle who still thinks Judas Priest is some new band he missed in the ’90s. Maybe it could even be the gateway to all the incredible music they’ve ignored for decades. And now I’ve done it again—ended on a sad note. Cheers!
Label: Majestic Mountain Records
Release date: August 1, 2025
Website: https://www.facebook.com/lommisweden
Country: Sweden
Score: 3.0/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 