I found Closer a few years back on Myspace. The sound was very polished and Soilworkish which grabbed my attention. To my surprise, I find the bands debut A Darker Kind of Salvation arrive in the mail for me to review. Closer may be on Pulverised Records but this is a Nuclear Blast, modern, Swedish melodic death metal fans wet dream.Storming right out of the gates with massive production and tight riffing, Closer present a convincing sound. Musically, we have well-written hooks, choruses, and a modern flare that really resembles Soilwork more than anything. Very mechanical, very accessible, and aggressive, Closer are oozing mainstream appeal. The great thing is they have just enough character to set them apart from a somewhat dry genre. The guitar sounds and all around mood has transferred from their EP to this debut very nicely, creating their personality if you will.

One thing I noticed right from the beginning is their bass player. The songs on this record have a very poppy funky bass sound. It drives itself directly through all the other instruments and adds a welcome edge kind of like Mudvayne. Riffs are very thrashy and angry but allowing just enough room for melody and texture. The chugs are created with class and breakdowns are effective instead of being forced or reproduced. Vocals keep the standard high pitched screamy rasp that we are use to with the Gothenburg style, and as most modern metal goes the double bass drumming hammers its way through most of the record. The more I listen to this the more I see a monster being born. If my gut feeling as a reviewer is correct, you will hear a lot more out of Closer in the future.

Fans of bands such as In Flames, Soilwork, Chimaira, Cypher System, and Threat Signal looking for the next big thing, look no further. Though Closer may not be setting the world on fire with A Darker Kind of Salvation, they have created a massive debut album that screams to The Industry and anyone interested in modern melodic death metal. I enjoy it.

[Visit the band's website]

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