Moonfog - Cadaveric Changes CD cover artwork

Rating: 8.6

Country: Sweden

Release Date: 2007

Track list:
1. Dod & Forintelse
2. Life Is Fucked
3. Misar
4. Fjattrad
5. Illusionen Av Frihet
6. Slit Wrists
7. Ett Anstandigt Liv
8. Jarnnave
9. Mellan Hopp & Fortvivlan
10. Bloodthirst & Hate
11. Dodens Svarta Vingar
12. Peel Off The Remains
13. Mer Vald
14. Under Ytan
15. Utrotning Narmar Sig
16. Dodsorganism
17. Total Katastrof
18. En Annan Verklighet
19. Allt Deformeras
20. Nekrosniffning Av Kremerat Kadaver
21. Doda Allt
22. Annu En Annan Verklighet
23. Relic
24. Broarna Branns
25. Skulptur
26. Skiftnycklar

Total playing time 38:18

Band Website: Obligatorisk Tortyr

Obligatorisk Tortyr - Aterforodelse

Jens Kjerrström - Guitar and Vocals
Viktor Helge - Bass and Vocals
Stefan Karlsson - Drums

After a seven year stickman search that's hampered them in the sortin' out more than one album, Swedish Grind trio Obligatorisk Tortyr finally return with a sizeable slab o' new stuff! I'll have to refrain from my usual priggish twattery and admit that I haven't heard their self-titled debut on Osmose, so other than a little bit of blatant readin' around the band and their activities; I wasn't sure what to expect. Mind you, it's predominantly Grindcore, from Scandinavia, so it wasn't too tricky to predict the kind o' lug-bashin' waitin' within the digitized audio signal afore pressin' play for the first time.

Serrated, bile-spittin' technical Death/Grind with a layer o' Crust is what we have here, with intricate yet punchy songs that jolt ‘n' rattle along over blastulated cobbles afore pilin' into enormously catchy rhythmic brick-walls. Reassuringly nimble, high-velocity drumwork underpins some accomplished ‘n' inventive guitarwork, accompanied, nay, smothered with lots of fumin', call ‘n' response bawlin'. The guitars themselves scamper far beyond the two-riff, three-chord boundaries ‘n' caper gaily into much more multifarious terrain, bringin' a rather volatile element to the whole thing; where one riff might be burstin' with grooves, the next could be draggin' you into a blackened mire o' morose melodic-mockery. Occasionally, they even find their way onto a Hard Rock (there goes that loose ol' term again!) vibe, suddenly switchin' from tightly clenched grindin' to loose, carefree swagger; all sour-mash guitar-licks ‘n' noddable rhythms. The catchier of the riffs don't escape a daubin' from the unpredictability brush either, often approachin' a familiar, logical progression afore throttlin' the phrase in different manner all together, bundlin' it up ‘n' drivin' it off down another route entirely. The technique combines typical grindin' with precarious windin', which often creates rather an unsettlin', even claustrophobic atmosphere. I think the band've certainly harnessed the key features of effective, technical Grindcore, first introducin' their sound in what may seem like rather a comfortably conventional manner, afore scurryin' off time ‘n' off beat by splashin' the canvas with many innovative flourishes ‘n' unexpected twists, which add much colourful complexity to their musical expressions, but without thoroughly befuddlin' the listener. On first listen, a slight enpuzzlement may occur due to a few o' the peculiar structural formats ‘n' funny riff runs, but once those can be appreciated amid the rest of the work as a whole, the mild perplexity soon subsides ‘n' the work becomes a highly enjoyable, fully digestible Grind feast. Underneath, the percussion keeps things together with an extremely tight, blast-driven performance, with lots o' smoothly executed, poundin' fills ‘n' plentiful cymbal clatter. ‘Cos it's frequently dissonant but often rather melodic too, the material has quite a volatile feel throughout, but the bass ‘n' drumwork does very well to pull these jumbly elements together, usin' robust, watertight rhythms to complement the catchier bits ‘n' offset the more elaborate parts, as well as addin' quite a few intricate patterns of its own. Atop the whirrin' textural tangle there are many dense layers o' vokill pugnacity, involvin' well-enunciated growls delivered with guttural aplomb, accompanied by some high-pitched, sweat-logged shrieks, which of course both give the work a vicious bite, add a strident edge ‘n' certainly intensify the precarious atmosphere.

Now it's time for my twatty comparison paragraph. Bein' of Scandinavian origin, it's no surprise that some of Återförödelse sounds similar to the likes o' Rotten Sound, later Regurgitate stuff, maybe Skitsystem ‘n' of course Nasum, matchin' the ferocity, excessive tempos ‘n' violent nature o' those acts, as well as bearin' an uncanny resemblance to the last Splitter record, what with its innovative structures, surprisin' chord progressions ‘n' the refreshin' injection o' liltin' melody into the grindin' bulk. I think a wee few traces o' the creative side o' Discordance Axis can be found among some o' the more involved grindin' riffs ‘n' rhythms, along with straightforward segments borrowed from off o' well-worn early Earache releases, especially the first Terrorizer album. On the more Death Metal side o' things, the band sometimes come across like a hybrid o' Gorguts ‘n' Internal Bleedin', which is then given a sizeable Dyin' Fetus inoculation; half a shot o' widdlin' dexterity mixed with half a shot o' stompin' pit-energy, sucked directly out o' Gallagher's adrenal glands then piped deep into the bulgin' song-vessels. At the more melodic end, you might detect a lovely aroma o' fried egg, chips, nicotine, bike oil ‘n' spirits that originally emanated from the direction o' one Sir Kilmister, but given its grindin' context, it sounds more like recent Blood Duster balls-outs.

I think I've gone into too much detail in the last two sections, so I'll try ‘n' keep the production critique short ‘n' sweet. Återförödelse is the musical equivalent of bein' heavily drubbed in a head-spinnin' bout of angry gang muggery, the beatin' interspersed by each gang member cajolin' you into havin' a bit of a jolly dance afore bootin' you to the ground again. So, if I could choose the kind o' day upon which I'd receive such a pastin', it'd be one that was crisp, clear ‘n' dry. Luckily, the production job has achieved a sound quality that matches such clement weather conditions. Ideal.

So, if you enjoy a Death/Grind album that has over two dozen songs, but become fed up ‘n' distracted by the time a band reaches the baker's dozen without allowin' you to distinguish between any o' the tunes whatsoever, then you'll get along very well with this. Havin' carefully studied their Death/Grind meat cut chart, they've carved out prime slabs o' crushin' Grindcore ‘n' pummelin' Death Metal, usin' a keen eye (or ear) to select a successful balance o' primitive beefiness ‘n' technical chops.

March 7th, 2008