Bloodbath - Resurrection Through Carnage (2002)^{Release ID: 4968}

My quest to find the best release of 2002 has been documented already in my posts on Metal Academy. After Decapitated’s sophomore fell by the wayside earlier this month I was left with a debut full length release to consider for contention above Tsjuder’s Demonic Possession. The ground looked much more favourable for Bloodbath going into the album than it did with the more technical death metal of Decapitated. This early promise is also thankfully realised in the album content.

Let us be honest here. There is more than enough talent in Bloodbath for virtually any album they release to be successful. When you have got Dan Swanö, Mike Åkerfeldt, Anders Nyström and Jonas Renkse together in a music studio, shit is likely to be good almost organically. For the most part this is true of Resurrection Through Carnage, the death metal credentials on display being predictably high in quality yet well balanced by some clever use of melody to temper the more aggressive tendencies of the sound.

It is not always top notch (Mass Strangulation is dull and predictable), but there are not many truer representations of Swede-Death knocking about that could rival what the quartet manage to achieve collectively here. Tracks like Death Delirium live up to their billing perfectly, breeding a special kind of madness in their scathing pace alone. The terrifying atmosphere generated by The Soulcollector is an example of a band at the top of their game, utilising an imposing structure and potent melodies to emphasise presence.

One of the rarest treats in music is an album that grows and gets stronger with each track. Although not perfect end to end, the quality on Resurrection Through Carnage rarely lets up and the better tracks start to become more obvious from around track four onwards. By the time it ends, there is a sense of longing for more which suggests a job well done.