Some records can be explained with a very simple comparison.
Since I was young, I have gone to buy pizza at the place around the corner. Most of the time, I end up ordering pepperoni. The recipe is familiar: dough, sauce, cheese, pepperoni, and basically the same seasoning. In theory, I should receive exactly the same pizza every single time.
But that never happens.
One day it comes with more cheese. Another time it is a little too oily. Sometimes it is spicier, sometimes the crust is more toasted, or one ingredient simply stands out more than the others. The recipe remains essentially the same, but the final result is never completely identical.
Something similar happens with Rogga Johansson.
Anyone who has followed Swedish Death Metal for long enough knows his name and the enormous number of projects, albums, and bands he has been involved with. At some point, it becomes inevitable to wonder how much more can really be extracted from a formula he has used so many times before.
Revolting, however, has never pretended to reinvent it.
‘Supernatural Anthems’, the band’s tenth full-length album, once again returns to familiar territory: Swedish Death Metal, abrasive guitars, simple but effective melodies, memorable riffs, horror-movie atmosphere, and a production dirty enough to preserve that unmistakable smell of the grave.
The recipe is still there.
But this pizza did not come out exactly like the previous ones.
There is something about ‘Supernatural Anthems’ that makes it feel slightly different from some of Rogga Johansson’s other productions. It is not a radical musical change, because obviously it is not. Instead, the difference lies in small variations inside a well-known formula. Some guitars seem to have more space, certain leads take a stronger role, and the movement between faster passages, heavier sections, and moments close to Doom/Death gives the album more room to breathe.
That matters because Revolting constantly runs the risk of becoming just another variation within Johansson’s massive catalogue.
Here, at least at times, the band manages to escape that feeling.
The HM-2 spirit and the entire Swedish Death Metal tradition are still obvious, but Revolting does not depend only on guitar tone. One of Rogga’s strengths remains his ability to write simple riffs and turn them into effective hooks. He does not need technical gymnastics. Often, one riff, a short melody, and a direct rhythm section are enough to make a song remain in your head after it is over.
I also find it interesting that the aesthetic surrounding ‘Supernatural Anthems’ seems to move in a slightly different direction. The artwork, the visual presentation, and even certain elements of the logo help separate this album from the feeling that we are simply looking at another release coming out of the Johansson factory.
And that is where the album’s most interesting contradiction appears.
‘Supernatural Anthems’ does not offer anything particularly new.
But it does not sound exactly the same either.
That may seem like a minor distinction, but when dealing with a musician as prolific as Rogga Johansson, those small variations end up becoming quite important.
Revolting continues using more or less the same ingredients: horror, Swedish riffs, distortion, groove, macabre melodies, and direct Death Metal. Sometimes the mixture works better than others. Some releases are greasier, some are more melodic; some are more aggressive, while others simply do the job.
Here, the combination works particularly well.
Not because Revolting has discovered a new way to play Death Metal, but because they still seem to enjoy cooking it.
After ten albums, that is probably more important than trying to prove some kind of artificial originality.
The recipe remains the same.
Fortunately, the result never completely does.
Good or bad, that is something each listener will have to decide after taking a bite.
