Bloodred Hell
[Rage of Achilles]

Did you ever wonder what happened to Edge of Sanity's former vocalist, Roberth Karlsson? Me neither, but I found out anyway. He's growling for a new band called Facebreaker and they play brutal death metal. I make it no secret that I've been increasingly bored by modern death metal. It's almost as if these bands are trying to be as similar to each other as possible. Practically every new band sounds exactly like the last one and follows all the same formulas. Sure, there are a few new death metal bands that stand out, but they are being drowned in a sea of mediocrity. Facebreaker holds a unique distinction with me in that they sit neatly in the middle. They mix the old school with the new school for a slightly unique twist on death metal.

Now, Facebreaker aren't twisting up the death metal formulas like Mithras. Nor do they blow you away by merging technicality with great song writing the way Origin does. They don't have any hardcore influences like Dying Fetus. They don't use gimmicks to set themselves apart like certain over-hyped bands who are named after African rivers. They don't even go for the retro hook like Bloodbath does. So what exactly do they do that sets them apart? Essentially, Facebreaker take the essence of old school Swedish death metal and shove it (violently) into the brutal framework of modern death.

I realize that might not sound like a whole lot, but it really adds up. Unlike most of the bands that they will unfortunately be lumped in with, Facebreaker have their own feel. And for those who will inevitably ask, it feels to me like a cross between old Entombed and Cannibal Corpse. I'm not saying they are up there with those two legends, but I am saying that Facebreaker will most likely have a strong appeal to fans of both those bands. If you are like me and only like one of those bands (in my case, Entombed), then this album will still appeal to you, just not as strongly. They might not be doing something completely new, but they are a good listen, even for someone as jaded as I am. Bloodred Hell has just enough of a twist to it to make it stand out from the pack and I think that says a hell of a lot when it comes to this style of music.