Mordant - Memento Mori (2004)

   Just as many newer bands of the Swedish underground sene, Mordant also desired to reinterpret the sound of the '80s by their own taste. Though the band existed since a while already, it took long until their first full-lenght release.
    Mordant focused on a raw and primitive rehearsal sound of blackening thrash metal, that could be imagined as a direct next step after Venom. Their second demo "Suicide Slaughter" was already widely distributed, so it gave a hint for the audience what could be expected from the band. The same line they continued on "Memento Mori", that included plenty of catchy themes too that referred to classical heavy metal. On the side of the music style, the lyrical concept also took the same direction by directly satanic lyrics. These are the same simple and primitive like the music, and may sound immature. But the main concept is unified like that, and sounds enough authentic if a band wants to summon the feeling of the '80s. Bands who sympathized with the Dark Lord, just sounded like that and even though they couldn't be taken seriously, their music had it's overwhelming feeling by it's simplicity. "Memento Mori" is able to cause enjoyable moments for the fans of dark '80s metal nostalgia.

Sasquatch - Sasquatch (2004)

   Sasquatch was formed as a very authentic stoner band at the most ideal location for this genre. By their heavy riffings they gave a good example how stoner rock in high quality should sound like.
   The usual '70s influences are waving back in their music on the side of the old stoner rock classics. The heavy sound they've operated with is mainly referring to early Kyuss. The psychedelic flotation had less role in their music, they focused more on to sound badass and to pile up many catchy themes to increase the chance of musical catharsis. In general Sasquatch's music is free from any kind of melancholic or negative effects, and not necessarily expects high level of self-destruction either. There are no weak points to find, the album is enjoyable in full-lenght. The only mentionable difference compared to the oldies of the genre is the better sound quality. It's rare to find bands who showed with such a stunning debut, and by an already well developed sound. They didn't change much during the decades, Sasquatch keeps playing in the same excellent quality since today. Highly recommended material for stoner fans!

Overcast - Under the Face of Chaos (2003)

   From the late '00s more and more bands showed up with such an old school style that reminded so much to the extreme scenes of the '80s and early 90s, that only their sound quality was a suspicious sign. At the beginning of the decade similar bands were more rare and less successful, but they could count as their forerunners.
    Overcast guides the listener for a time travel back to the '80s by their traditional old school thrashing. In their music the influences of the Bay Area and the German thrash scenes could be sensed the most. They preferred to stay at a less aggressive sound, but therefore they created more complex song structures. By the latest move they avoided the monotone effect of their music, but it became less unified the same way too. Plenty of theme changes and catchy melodies are interrupting the fast speed that their music dictated. With fresh, modern sound quality, but by following the old recipes they introduced the wildest musical manifestation of social criticism. For fans who find enjoyable the mix of the '80s style and the more technical technical metal, "Under the Face of Chaos" is strongly recommended. Would a unified musical composition had sense in the case of chaos? It's the listener's job to decide.

Sufferage - Raw Meat Experience (2003)

    Sufferage became known as a brutal death metal band with modern sound and serious message, like it was usual at newbies who preferred to step through the ordinary sound of death. But for a start they followed the classical concept of the style.
    Demons, gore, cannibalism... So familiar and nostalgic topics aren't they? Inspirations came by horror classics. Things that are seemed to disappear from the modern sound of death in the early '00s, when similar productions were so rare anyway. But "Raw Meat Experience" guides back the listener to the basics of the exaggerated musical features by it's excellent quality, intense speed, heavy sound and completely insane growlings. And probably nobody would expect only by hearing that these animalistic growls came out from a woman's throat. The whole album is very enjoyable not only because of it's raw brutality and extreme intensity, but it's also well composed, and includes loads of great themes. Even though "Raw Meat Experience" was high quality all-round, and could be compared only to the biggest names of the genre, it was barely known and underrated. Similar productions rarely showing up in general.

Secretum - Happy Happy Killing Time (2003)

   Secretum was a German thrash/death metal band from Berlin, formed in the late '90s. Their full-lenght debut "Happy Happy Killing Time" was a good example how old school style of metal took modern form and sound.
    Even though the influences of the band are evident, there is something more through the nostalgic feeling that made their music different from the style of the late '80s' and therefore actual for the early '00s. Secretum wrote their themes with more flexibility and that may sound like experimenting compared to other ordinary bands in this style. On the side of the aggressiveness and the speed there are more diverse themes than usual. Even though it's not really possible to do anyhing new on this line, there is a large palette of influences. So the best thing that good musicians can do is to select wisely. The lyrics also followed the partly traditional but the same way proceeding ambitions. It's not the same social critics with some political touch like over a decade ago, there is strong sarcasm too and a grotesque and morbid aspect performed by a quite insane vocal style. The intensiveness and the diversity made the album enjoyable for long term.

Torture Killer - For Maggots to Devour (2003)

    The forming of Torture Killer was mainly inspired by Six Feet Under. Even though they tried to form their own style, they didn't go far from their main influence and kept playing groovy death metal.
   The main features remained, but the imaginations and songwriting abilities of Torture Killer showed more diversity that their masters did. The lyrics also went sometimes further than the narrating listing of synonyms vs very simple and immature lyrics that were so common at Six Feet Under. "For Maggots to Devour" sounds more insane and authentic the same time. That's because they always payed attention to keep a certain level of intensiveness to not collapse into some retired monotone speed and repetition. The debut also includes the starting push of a young band. That's responsible for the intensity they strated with and for their raw themes that were piled up in the second part of the album. Some sort of black, grotesque humor is also hiding behind their musical expression of dissection, mutilation, butchery and insanity. Altogether "Maggots to Devour" was a stunning and promising start that gave a new shade to the groovy style of death.

Revenge - Triumph.Genocide.Antichrist (2003)

    Revenge just picked up the line where Conqueror dropped it. James Read was the common point in both bands and that explains the similarities and the direct influence.
     The band proved to be more persevere and more productive than Conqueror was. "Triump.Genocide.Antichrist" was their first full-lenght album, but they released already two EP's before as a worthy introduction. The similarities with Conqueror in the cover arts and the music are not accidental, it's exactly the same concept: pure satanic madness about war, destruction and anti-Christianity. Still there are some mentionable differences. Even though Revenge was the same insane, their song structures were less chaotic by sometimes showing some well composed themes. There are also some frequently returning middle speed slow-downs too with more black metal-like vocal style. That sounds like an old school reference and made their music a little bit more diverse and more enjoyable. Except that it's again the endlessly exaggerated brutality on the line on Blasphemy, just how like black/death metal should sound like. No dark beauty or aesthetical masturbation should be expected.