That is why I became pretty surprised when I played this album for the first time. The music spewed from my speakers was technical and brutal as fuck death metal. In the back of my mind, I had been looking forward to something in the vein of “The Rage Of The Northmen”, but I didn’t get disappointed at all. After a few spins, the new attack from In Battle had conquered the battlefield.

Though there isn’t that far from the band’s black/Viking influenced war metal, to what they are delivering now a days. The music is still very brutal and relentless. There are still plenty of speed and haunting atmospheres. The main inspiration has just shifted to technical and heavy death metal, which is the base for the band’s musical abominations today. And (if anyone was in doubt) the war theme is still the main topic and inspiration for In battle.

One of the forces of In battle has always been the ability to write hyperspeed tracks, which carves themselves into the mind of the listener. It is an ability they show on this release too. Even though the music is fast and technical, it leaves a great impression behind, and one can remember the tracks and tell them apart. It is some great music the band has written, and it will hopefully resound around the globe and give In Battle the attention deserved. They are wielding the steel and letting evil guitar riffs and pounding bass drums do the talking. Together with the killer vocals, which rips up old wounds.

The production is pretty good, though a bit messy and a bit too heavy. That is only bad when the guitar is delivering heavy as fuck riffs, and the drums grinds in a midtempo pace. When the music gets up in tempo and the blasting begins, the sound is very fitting, and the album is fast most of the way through.

If you’re on the looks for a brutal, technical and varied death metal album today, this will be my recommendation. This kicks ass and has substance enough for many hours of listening. This is some good shit!

[This review was first published on the now defunct scandinavianmetal.info webzine]