‘The Eternal Hunger’ has that undeniable Stockholm Death Metal sound oozing out of it, but the thing I kept coming back to is just how damn groovy this entire album is. Harrowed has the buzzsaw guitars, the grit and the raw aggression that we’ve come to love, but they manage to work a really swingy feel underneath a lot of these riffs that keeps your head moving the whole time.
This is where I can see the Death Breath comparison making some sense. The bands have a similar gnarly Death Metal baseline at their roots but add enough Rock ‘n Roll momentum, a touch of crusty energy to keep things from getting stiff and overly rigid. The old school Swedish elements are palpable throughout this record, but the album doesn’t feel like it’s simply chasing its predecessors though.
Wasn’t a track I didn’t like, but I’d have to say ‘Formaldehyde Dreaming’ stood out because the intro riff comes in strong immediately and makes a statement that sets the tone for what you should expect for the next few minutes. It’s simple, heavy, and memorable.
Now the drums have a real physical impact to them without sounding too overly processed and natural for the most part. The guitars, whilst having that razor sharp HM-2 edge to them, never descend into an overly muddy, fuzzed out mass. As if by magic, the groove remains present even as the band ramps things up.
Harrowed know exactly what they want to hear in their sound and that confidence shines through in spades. This album is nasty and heavy but never suffers from any over complication. For fans of a more Rock ‘n Roll infused take on the Swedish Death Metal sound, I have a feeling you will keep coming back to this one.
