Album Details

• Artist: Miseration
• Album: Your Demons Their Angels
• Label: Lifeforce
• Year of Release: 2008
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: solitaryman on 2008-11-05

Another death metal band out of Sweden, you say? More of the same, you say? Well, Miseration would have you thinking otherwise after spending a little time with Your Demons - Their Angels, their debut release for Lifeforce Records, a project headed up by Scar Symmetry frontman (or former frontman, as of last month) Christian Alvestam. While expecting melodic death metal on the level of a Soilwork or In Flames, the guys in Miseration manage to keep things more heavy and less slightly heavy. They seem to draw more on state-side influences (later-period Deicide in particular) and as such keep things relatively more simple. For the purists, this is good news.

They really don't hide their style from you, as a minute of opener "Thrones" will key you into what the band is all about; relentless, assaulting riffage, a rhythm section to pound the nails into the coffin, and vocals straight from the pits of the crypt. What manages to capture your attention is the logical progressions that take place from song to song, such as the well-timed bottoming-out on "Seven Are The Sins", which creeps you out like a Mike Patton might try to. The melodic chorus on "Chain-Work Soul" makes it a stand-out performance, as is the very well-played guitar smattered across the last two tracks, "Foul Invective" and "Scattering the Few". 

Punishing, uncompromising, and still able to inject well-timed flashes of the melodic elements made famous by their fellow countrymen, Your Demons - Their Angels is a solid effort by Miseration and one of the best releases for Lifeforce Records this year. With Scar Symmetry out of his picture, perhaps Christian will spend more time honing this promising project into something more viable and relevant. For now, it's almost strictly a death-metal purist's release. I don't think fans of the mega-melodies of In Flames would be too comfortable with the bulk of this 80% strict-death-metal album. 

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