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September 7, 2008 |
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IN BATTLE - Welcome To The Battlefield
Metal Blade (2004) |
8.5/10 |
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01. Shunned By Life
02. Madness
03. Eld Jattar
04. Scorched World
05. Soul Metamorphosis
06. Despoter
07. Serpents
08. Blood Divine
09. Stonefaced Mountains
10. King God
11. Mass Produced Hybrid Humans
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Well now...if this isn't one of the more pleasant surprises to come out of Sweden since topless blonde models and modular furniture! Just kidding. Seriously though, this album is indeed something of a surprise - for me at any rate - this being my first aural experience with IN BATTLE's brand of sonic Metallic terrorism. Judging by the logo/image of the band I had been fully expecting a merciless 'Troo/Kvlt' Black Metal assault, but was instead treated to what amounts to one of the better U.S.-style technical Death Metal offerings of recent years in this, the band's latest slab of broo-tality 'Welcome To The Battlefield' from the ever-reliable Metal Blade Records.
IN BATTLE (currently featuring vocalist Odhinn J. Sandin, drummer Nils Fjellström, bassist John Frölén, and guitarist Hans Carlsson) was originally the result of a 1996 collaboration between members of ODHINN and SETHERIAL with the goal being to create a much darker, and more aggressive strain of Metal than what the members had been producing in their respective 'day-bands' at the time. Well, golf claps all around as the guy's mission has been duly accomplished. But I digress. During the course of the band's career thus far they have released two prior albums including the 1997 self-titled 'In Battle', and 1998 followup effort 'The Rage Of The Northmen' both on Napalm Records. While 2001 saw much turmoil from the band in the form of lineup changes, nevertheless they forged onwards to record the 2003 4-song promo 'Soul Metamorphosis' which led to their current signing with Metal Blade in 2004.
Which brings us to the present...IN BATTLE are obviously not content to follow the current trend prevalent among many in the Swedish Metal scene who are content to merely rehash throw-away IN FLAMES/SOILWORK/DARK TRANQUILLITY riffs and call them their own. No. This is a band that, like peers DISMEMBER, UNMOORED, GRAVE, and TORCHBEARER - to name but a few like-minded acts - prefer to walk the road less traveled and have thus concentrated on honing a sound that is comparably quite dark, technical, and old-school-style HEAVY to most of what has emerged of late from the snowy north. 'Welcome To The Battlefield' is an excellent example of successful genre-crossing, the album fusing the tone and vibe of no-frills, old-school, hate-and-aggression-fuelled Black Metal ala MARDUK or DARK FUNERAL, with the rifftastic bottom end and technical sensibility of the classic U.S. Death Metal years.
Most notably, the Swedes take an obvious inspirational nod from the Florida scene of the early 90's with much on offer here resonating the spirit of old CANNIBAL CORPSE, DEATH, OBITUARY, and MORBID ANGEL. At the end of the day though, IN BATTLE are in possession of a sound that is truly their's and their's alone and that is an admirable feat at a time when there are so few originators, and so many followers in Metal. Speaking of sound, the listening quality of the finished product is as good as it is thanks to Eric Rutan (HATE ETERNAL), who handled the production duties. Highlights would have to include opener 'Shunned By Life', the riffy 'Eld Jattar', the blitzkrieg of 'Scorched World' and 'Serpents' to name but a few of many standout tracks to be found on this intense, uncompromising and demolishing release.
This is just a great, headbanging, meat n' potatoes-riff-conscious HEAVY listen. Lots of aggression and brutality and a definite take-no-prisoners' ethos. IN BATTLE's 'Welcome To The Battlefield' does what it sets out to do; that being to appear unbidden upon the horizon of a blasted, razor-wired field of trenches to roll forth panzerlike, all guns blazing as it obliterates into submission all who dare to stand before it.
So if you're the sort of Metal fan who just doesn't wanna know unless it's about the riffs, the speed, the aggression, and the flat-out heaviness of it all, then man...put down that issue of 'Guns & Ammo' you're currently leafing through, dip into that reserve fund you were planning on spending on bulletbelts and gasmasks, and get your hate on with IN BATTLE's latest blast of mortar fire 'Welcome To The Battlefield'. It's almost guaranteed to crack even your grim and scowling countenance into something resembling a smile.
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