HEAVYDEATH (Swe) – ‘Dark Phoenix Rising’ CD Digisleeve

Runemagick side-project. CD version of the second full-length (amongst a gazillion demos!) from these great Swedes.

For me, Heavydeath succeed predominantly in managing to meld several styles without really sounding like anyone else, or of a particular time and place. Their songs are characterized by brilliant driving riffs that bring to mind “V”-era Saint Vitus, but everything is informed
by a multitude of mainly late 80s/early 90s death and doom influences, with an almost gothy monotone combined with gruff barks, black metal melodic lead lines and crushing death/doom riffs.

The atmosphere here is key: dark, brooding and grim but it’s always listenable and never descends into boring death metal cliche. An absolutely great band who manage to keep the quality control up despite a prodigious release schedule.

500 copies, gatefold sleeve.