Descend is a progressive death metal band from Stockholm, Swedenwho formed in 2003, with the current line-up dating back to 2008. After three demos, the debut album ‘Through the Eyes of the Burdened’ was released through Supernova Records in May 2011. The album was well received and supported through numerous live performances including festivals in Germany, Canada as well as the renowned Metaltown festival in Gothenburg in the summer of 2012. Now they are back with their second album, released at the beginning of 2014, and it is certainly an interesting proposition as they are moving in a vast array of styles, far more than one might expect from how they describe themselves. They are complete passages where no-one in their right mind could call themselves death, whereas there are others where they fit right in.
But, for me the production doesn’t really provide enough punch to this. Drummer Jonathan Persson is doing a lot behind the kit, and is a real asset to the band, but he isn’t as much in your face as I would like. There is a feeling that they have been ever so slightly muted, and this has a detrimental impact to the harsher elements of the album, while more gentle passages such as the title cut do come across really well. I get the impression that these guys are far more in your face in the live arena, and while this is overall an interesting and enjoyable album I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Colin Richardson had been at the controls. It certainly is a grower though, and the more I played it the more I enjoyed it, just not quite as much as I think I should have.
