Album Details

• Artist: Lightning Swords Of Death
• Album: The Extra Dimensional Wound
• Label: Metal Blade
• Year of Release: 2010
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2010-05-19

Seven years ago, a trio of metal mavens met in a creepy old house and decided to apply their serious study of the occult arts in a new metal band. Now, that might seem to be trite story of every band, especially in Death Metal and Grindcore: "Isnt that everyone's bullshit in the genre?" but the difference with Lightning Swords Of Death is that they are, em, deadly serious about both their music and their dark arts. They decided to test those heavy waters even if it did some psychic damage along the way. Their newest release, "The Extra Dimensional Wound," is their second missive (their official second release was actually a split CD with Valdur) from the black ether.

Fairly constant touring has resulted in a tight unit, with drummer M. Vega and bassist Menno providing as solid a pavement as is possible in anchoring the chaos of Roskya's bazooka riffs and the vocals of Autarch, which are both typically growling and atypically menacing in ways the growl, due to overuse, can never again be.

The opener, "The Extra Dimensional Wound," emits a blizzard to charging riffs, with the vocals sometimes becoming indistinguishable to industrial humming, or an eerie wind snaking through a pipe. It keeps its frenzied pace throughout its six minute length, no easy feat.

"Nihilistic Stench" and "Invoke the Desolate One" may be two of the most brutal black metal this side of Burzum, with the music and the sincerity being deeply disturbing as well as exhilarating. The epic "Path of Chaos" truly is that: an eleven minute metal piece that holds interest, makes sense, and pummels at the same time.

"The Extra Dimensional Wound" is Lightning Swords of Death's Metal Blade debut, and accordingly the band will be part of a big time summer US tour, shredding alongside the likes of Kreator and Lazarus A.D. earlier that ought to be no biggie for this band, though, as earlier in the year they toured briefly with Behemoth. Lightning Swords of Death set out to make their demons visible and to inject their dark knowledge into their music. There are many pretenders to that aim in black metal, but, as "The Extra Dimensional Wound" proves, few are as serious as a heart attack like these guys.

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