Band's List Death Metal Unleashed (SWE) As Yggdrasil Trembles

Pedantically indifferent to the present but cherishing a deep respect to the past, with the release of their tenth steam-roller, Johnny Hedlund & co once again inflict their unmatched compositional class, leaving all rival bands in awe before the epic sound of "As Yggdrasil Trembles". The warlike crew Unleashed continues to smash everything into bits and pieces for over two decades without even giving up the slightest sign of weariness.
It's more than enough to hear the bloody sound of "Courage Today, Victory Tomorrow", the ice-cold mood of "And So It Begins", the majestic ode "Master of The Ancient Art" or the frosty spirit of "Cannibalistic Epidemic Continues" in order to feel all that on your own behalf.

The actual release of the Vikings is a most worthy successor of "Hammer Battalion" - it even exceeds the idea further beyond by developing both conceptual and artistic approach of the quartet. The result is locked inside 12 striking songs which are realized in the best tendencies of both Unleashed and the genre in general – actually, what we have here is a solid base of irritated death metal defended on the flanks by crispy sharp riffs which tear down the speakers just like a cleaver slicing through a human brain. Johnny's mad growls serve a great deal in purely expressive terms - just as battlecries filled with hate, they encapsulate the entire fury and malice of the band throughout its history so far.

The concept story in "As Yggdrasil Trembles" is once again focused on themes of the Nordic mythology, which is an element walking hand in hand with the music of Unleahsed for some 20 years already. This time the idea is appointed to the titanic tree Yggdrasil which encapsulates the very essence of the Northern epos. In a more accurate translation it means "the horse of Odin" - god of war, wisdom, magic and sovereign ruler of Asgaard. These exact features serve as landmarks for the story being told by the four musicians, which once again transforms into an enchanting epic concept entangled with down-beat rhythm section and overall instrumental background. The impression of a masterfully perfected album is created with the help of a freezing Northern atmosphere - harsh and deadly, it paints pictures of a bloody battle with Unleashed practicing their unholy dance right in the middle of its eye; All this is wraped up in a perfect balance mixture between melodies and brutal sound that became the band's trademark long ago. This new opus is memorizable but in no way relying on old cliches and well-known patterns.

The sacred tree Yggdrasil has all but dug its roots deep within the new record of the Swedish division which once again gave a lesson of how one genuine old school death metal album should really sound nowadays. The golden era has come again - this is the true nature of “As Yggdrasil Trembles” and Unleashed at their best without any compromise whatsoever!