VAMPIRE
With Primeval Force
Century Media (2017)
Rating: 7.5/10
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After what seems like an age (okay, so it’s been three years with a single, split and EP in between!) since the 2014 self-titled debut opus, Sweden’s Vampire emerges from their catacomb and takes flight to the night with this second offering.
This nine track opus runs for just under 40 minutes, and once again presents us with that gnarly sound that takes in a whole host of influences ranging as far back as Venom and Kreator to the more recent rumblings of, say, Tribulation, with hints of Dissection and Entombed in-between.
So, what can go wrong? Well, nothing really – Vampire have set their stall out and churned out a solid, aggressive style that marries German thrash with Swedish melodic death metal. It’s a good place to be for many and Vampire certainly sit comfortable with that, and it makes for an entertaining experience.
Opener ‘Knights Of The Burning Crypt’ immediately showcases such influence as well as displaying variety. These range from eerie, slower passages which gel nicely with spikier, rancid flicks of thrashing death. But what followers will note, is how since their 2015 EP Cimmerian Shade they’ve begun to incorporate a crisper sense of atmosphere and more intricate compositions; a natural progression I guess from the rawer strains of the self-titled debut. However, maybe this will disappoint those expecting to hear that same, bestial menace?
But one can never argue with an act that matures and progresses, and so with the likes of ‘He Who Speaks’, ‘Midnight Trial’ (with its vocal variances) and ‘Revenants’, Vampire brings much experimentation to the table. The sound feels far more polished, especially with ‘Midnight Trial’ where the clearer vocal strains are evident, while with ‘Revenants’ the band are hinting at heaps of Teutonic melody; a catchy almost drifting guitar sound as the band shifts away from deathlier grinds. ‘Revenants’ also returns with an interesting merging of Celtic Frost-styled morbidity with that Tribulation tweaking.
Having said that, Vampire still remains a formidable beast. The blackened death cross-stitching remains fresh right up to the scathing catchiness of ‘Scylla’, while in-between we have my favourite track, the rattling skeletal cacophony that is ‘Ghoul Wind’, which is one of the only short, sharp stabs to the vein that the album offers. The latter is a shooting pain of a track that thrashes with hateful aplomb, but still stacks its melodious tones onto the listener via a grating, swirling guitar vortex and frontman Hand of Doom’s snarling vocal demonstrations. It’s spiky, fast and yet steeped in melody. It’s the Vampire we know and love, only one with extra sheen and lustre. But it remains a death thrash masterpiece that will have you howling at the moon.
And so Vampire mark two is an interesting affair; at times blistering, but probably not enough for some. With Primeval Force is littered with peaks and troughs – at one end we have Vampire showing their progressive streak and providing dollops of variety within that framework of thrashing death, but at the other end of the spectrum we have a band clearly moving away from its primeval roots, which in a sense belies the title of the opus. However, the variation of compositions will more likely benefit the posse in the long run, especially with such a scene becoming so popular. Admittedly, I expected something more soiled and sordid, but I’m also buoyed by the advancements that this sophomore platter offers.
Neil Arnold
