MORDBRAND

Döden / Efter Döden (7")

De:Nihil Records - 5 €

Brutal Swedish death metal!

Still hobbled by ignorance of the Swedish language, we are again left to the mercy of on-line translation tools for an understanding of the poem “Efter Döden“, but even those undoubtedly garbled results are eloquent and inspiring, as Fröding seems to be imagining the many possibilities of what might come after death. As compared to “Döden“, Mordbrand‘s music here is immediately boisterous and hard-rocking, with a skirling riff that’s also immediately addictive. The rhythm section delivers just as much megawatt power as in the first song, and will get your pulse jumping hard and fast.

The dynamism present in “Döden” is also on display in “Efter Döden“, as the band transition the song into a glorious anthem and then a punk-rocking gallop. Following a bright, rippling guitar bridge the band create a headbanger’s heaven, so get your neck loose before you get into this track. The music cycles seamlessly through changing cadences and musical styles, and even though the song is full of buoyant life, Mordbrand don’t let us forget that the song is still about death, and there is something about the simmering riff that draws the track to a close that’s disturbing, fearful, and hauntingly otherworldly.

This really is a fantastic two-track release, with both songs so engrossing that it’s very easy to come back to them again and again. Döden / Efter Döden was mixed and mastered by Lawrence Mackrory, and the layout of the record was designed by Łukasz Jaszak.