Whilst lounging at home the other day, accomplishing very little, my phone pinged. It was a message from my editor at VM-Underground, informing me that a promo of the fourth studio album from Sweden’s Gluttony, titled ‘Eulogy to Blasphemy’, had just landed. He asked if I’d like to review it.
My first thought? Does a bear shit in the woods! As a massive devotee of old-school Swedish Death Metal, especially when that legendary Boss HM2 pedal is involved, I grabbed a cold IPA, sat my fat arse down, and hit play.
This release marks the band’s fourth full-length effort since their formation in 2009. Their 2012 demo, ‘Coffinborn’, originally set the bar for what Gluttony is all about: pure, buzzsaw, HM2-driven Death Metal. Since then, they’ve been consistently busy, churning out an EP, a split with Sordid Flesh, and three previous albums.
The record opens with a doomy piano intro before delivering a swift kick to the bollocks with ‘All These Trees Are Tombs’. It’s a filthy, mid-paced stomper with d-beats for days and a sharp blast-beat passage towards the end that sets a perfect tone for the rest of the album. During the album you recognize the Swedish colleagues here and there, like ‘Hung from Entrails’ immediately brings Entrails to mind, while ‘Eulogy to Blasphemy’, my favourite track, carries a distinct early-Entombed vibe, even referencing ‘Left Hand Path’ in the lyrics. ‘Corpses Eating Corpses’, which kicks off with a truly inhuman scream, has a bit of a ‘Casket Garden’ feel to it.
For me, this album has it all; rottenness, classic buzzsaw riffing, catchiness, hooks and Magnus Ödling’s vocals, they are spewed forth with such clarity that you can catch every single word he grunts. John Henriksson’s drumming performance is a staple throughout the record, gluing the band’s sound together beautifully.
The album draws to a close with a cover of ‘Burn’ by everyone’s favourite “grandfather”, King Diamond. The lads certainly do it justice, putting their own unmistakable HM2 stamp on it.
All in all, ‘Eulogy to Blasphemy’ is a formidable addition to Gluttony’s discography and personally my favourite to date. The Swedish Death Metal scene is not only alive and kicking but growing stronger by the day. With bands like Xorsist and Impurity flying the flag, the future is in safe hands.
I’m off to pre-order the vinyl now, and I suggest you do the same!
