This may sound as if it is a new band, because it is, but what we have here is the latest project from Dan Swanö (vocals, drums, keyboards) with Ragnar Widerberg (guitars, bass). Dan is at pains to point out that they actually rehearsed and played together before they started looking to record this, so in his mind it is a proper band project as opposed to just something that has been put together in the studio. Musically this is a real combination of many styles, so much so that the obvious comparison is Opeth, with much more clean vocals and gentleness than one might imagine. Mind you, Dan has long had a reputation as one of the strongest singers around and the shift in styles throughout songs such as “Astrid Falls” is quite breathtaking.
This is a progressive melodic acoustic extreme death metal album that shows that Dan is definitely back, and that in Ragnar he has discovered someone with whom he can produce some exceptional work. If you don’t like the style then hang on a second or two as it will change, and “Dead for a Day” deserves to be a hit single, even with an extended death growl section! A great debut, now don’t make us wait too long for the follow-up!
