Sweden’s most consistent bunch of Vikings need no introduction. Unleashed have been stalwarts of the scene since Johnny Hedlund was booted from Nihilist back in the late 80s. It worked out pretty well for him because 36 years later, Unleashed are poised to release Fire Upon Your Lands, their 15^th full-length album.

Hot off the heels of the crushing No Sign of Life album from 2021 and coming in hotter than a flaming arrow, they are killing the competition (not literally), but the release of anything new from these guys is a special fucking thing.

Fortunately for Unleashed, they haven’t changed their core sound; those guitars are still gritty as a mouthful of sand, and they’re even more massive thanks to the excellent production.

Goddamn, this is a nasty album; it rips open a blood eagle across your ears. The first track,“Left for Dead” sets the pace with breakneck speed and precision. Those guitars shred over Anders Schultz’s blasting drums, and believe me that they are blasting. I haven’t heard this many blast beats on an Unleashed album in a short minute.

“A Toast to the Fallen”, “The Road to Haifa Pier” and “War Comes Again” are all chock full of incredible, flesh-ripping blasts and that scythe-sharp guitar tone and blast beats falling like steel rain. Fire Upon Your Lands is a powerhouse album, and that’s evident even in the fucking album Art, holy shit, that’s going to look good on a t-shirt.

When the title track bursts in with striding blasts right out of the gate, it’s like a revelation. Fire Upon Your Lands is my favorite Unleashed album since 1995’s Victory. I know, right. That’s not to say that I haven’t liked them all since then… are you nuts? “Revenge” has a special place in my heart, so there.

Anyway , enough of my personal shit and back to the task at hand.

“Loyal to the End” kicks off with some killer DNA strand twisted soloing and builds towards massive blasting before it goes to a mid-paced brutalizer; this is one of my favorite tracks on Fire Upon Your Lands, Unleashed are masters of their craft, deftly switching tempos on the march to the songs end.

“Midjardarhaf” goes from mid-paced crusher to a thrashing midsection, while “Hail the Varangians!” has this triumphant chorus that’ll be a huge moment live; the main riff is fucking beautiful and savage at the same time.

The album is wrapped up with the slaying trio “To My Only Son” a father’s lament set to a brutal background; this is followed by the immense brutality of “Hold Your Hammers High!” and that solo, o my fucking God, that outro is heavy. Finally, at the end comes “Unknown Flag” an OSDM beat down with some badass double bass rolls throughout.

When it comes to Swedish Death Metal the list is long, you think of the original bands Nihilist, Entombed, At the Gates (get better soon, Tomas!) You start to get nostalgic for those halcyon days of primitive brutality that blew you away with every riff and blast. This is the real fucking deal, you should get it and play it all day and night. Seriously, what are you waiting for?

[Visit the band's website]

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