Sweden’s prolific death metal band Paganizer was initiated by vocalist/guitarist Rogga Johansson (Ribspreader, Johansson & Speckmann, Megascavenger, Down Among The Dead Men, etc.). The ambitious musician is expertized in creating his own style of old school death metal similar to Entombed and Grave. The Tower of the Morbid is the eleventh album released by Transcending Obscurity Records. Paganizer music is mostly rooted in the 90’s classic sound of the Swedish death metal. The direction of the latest album is regarded by the brutal and vicious take, musically the album is considered as the band’s strongest effort since their early albums Dead Unburied, Murder Death Kill and No Divine Rapture.

Paganizer continued with the same lineup who appeared on the previous album Land of Weeping Souls consisting of guitarist Kjetil Lynghaug, bassist Martin Klàsen and drummer Matthias Fiebig. These members boost a tremendous energy thought out the album the opening track Flesh Tornado is a mid tempo death metal track where the band stimulates the heavy chainsaw tone. Fans who have been following the band can sense a big improvement in sound quality and music. The next track Apocalypse Writings is where Paganizer maintains the dose of brutality and the growls are mostly relevant to the overall sound.

Tower of the Morbid comes in a full package where the album has an increasing pace with grooves and brutality. Cannibal Remains is stuffed with vital combinations of driven grooves and the drums plays a significant impact in providing the blast beats. Over the years Paganizer discography has been inconsistent and to certain extend the previous albums were somewhat monotonous and mediocre. The Tower of the Morbid luckily is more of an upbeat album delivered by fast pacing drums and blast beats adding power to the tonality.

The visceral death metal outfit has brought many melodic affinities and hooks into the details of each of the new tracks. The execution of the most melodic riffs are provided by the rhythm guitar as there as several hooks executed at high levels of intensity. Yet there are still many savage killer riffs fused into the song structure. Drowning in Sand is a great example of how Paganizer‘s focus on the intensity, the blast of energy and diversity on this track also includes some memorable melodies which makes this track one of the album’s highlights. The quality and the variety of the guitar riffs are kept on a constant flow. The opening riff of Redemptionless turns into a fiery salvo and the drums fuels the heavy momentum.

All this denotes that Paganizer opt to strengthen the structure of the songwriting. The album includes impressive riffs and this is a more of a departure from the explicit inspiration of Grave and Entombed. Approximately the band seems to have a unique way of inserting the melodies, the highlight of such demonstration is featured on They Came to Die. Paganizer sought to fuse the fiery guitars riffs and brutality, overall the album has a modern appeal and it’s brilliantly mixed with the old school Swedish death metal style.

Rot Spreads is supplied by extreme dose of crunchy raw death metal riffs. The ample supply of the blast beats on Beneath the Gauze signifies the ability of switching to full brutal death metal mode. There is also a clear element of melodies extended to each of the other tracks like The Tower of the Morbid. Paganizer’s achievement on the latest album presents a new characteristic style by this Swedish quartet. The album includes eleven tracks that will surprise the listener on how the band accentuate on the brutality. Purge the World and Demented Machines both carries the trademark of the Swedish old school death metal.

Bursting with powerful HM-2 guitar riffs and hooks other standout tracks like Purge The World which involves the classic style of Swedish death metal. The new album is heavily paced, relentlessly aggressive embedded in the buzz sawing guitar riffs, grooves and blast beats. From the quality of the contents and the album artwork which is illustrated by Dan Seagrave. The Tower of The Morbid is a satisfying record by the highly prolific band who has released a good record. 

Release Date: October 27th, 2019
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Track list:

1. Flesh Tornado
2. Apocalypse Writings
3. Cannibal Remains
4. Drowning in Sand
5. Redemptionless
6. They Came to Die
7. Rot Spreads
8. Beneath The Gauze
9. The Tower of The Morbid
10. Purge The World
11. Demented Machines