When it comes to promotion of bands, there are some tried and tested tricks. Some of these are well worn, of course. A nicely written bio, some promotional pictures, some easily transferable words within the accompanying blurb. Then, of course, there is the high-risk option of comparing the band to other, better-known outfits. In this case, the record label have chosen to level some big-hitting comparisons to the lads in Creeping Flesh – among others, Bolt Thrower, Hail of Bullets and Unleashed. Now, I am a big fan of all of those bands, and their old-school mid-tempo, chunky slices of death metal. If you claim any kind of affinity with Bolt Thrower especially, you’d better have the chops to back this up. 

So how does “…and then the bombs came” compare? Actually, there’s plenty to recommend here. I couldn’t see too much here that really reminded me of Leamington Spa’s best war-obsessed death metal crew except on the doomier sections when the music really slows down (as with the outro of “Flakturme”), but there is plenty here to keep fans of Hail of Bullets happy. This is their second album, following on from 2019’s “Into the Meat Grinder” (which I really must track down), and for a band that’s only had one album before, this is really accomplished stuff. Perhaps the most clear parallel between the Dutch lads from Hail of Bullets and Asphyx are the vocals of Robert Karlsson. He has the same deranged delivery as Martin Van Drunen, and let’s be right about this, that means that some people aren’t going to love it. From my perspective, I thought that the raw and feral delivery really adds a special ingredient to the tracks. Take, for instance, the centrepiece song of the album, the six minute-plus epic “Like So Many Before Them”, a breath-taking stomper that’s propelled by the rhythm section. Robert’s vocals cut through the murk, and have a fiery passion to them that really captures the spirit of the subject matter. 

Elsewhere, the rest of the Swedish wrecking crew get chances to illustrate their chops. The stand outs for my really are the bottom end, with the nimble but destructive skins-bashing of Martin Kadhammar and the rumbling tank-bass of Korp Thidrandir. Their rock-solid anchoring really does bring to mind the relentless grind of ground-war. The twin guitar attack of Willy Oburg and Sofus Stille does more than just bring the tasty riffage (albeit they do do that!), as there are some really nicely wrought melodies and relatively delicate guitar parts throughout that add flavour and variety to the mix. 

While definitely anchored in the style of the past, it’s fair to say that I have been really impressed with this album, which has enough of its own flavour of its own to have its own identity, while clearly having roots in beloved bands. I urge all readers to have a listen to the epic “Like So Many Before Them”, which has all the makings of a modern death metal anthem. Get your ear holes round this album before they start to get huge.

 (8.5/10 Chris Davison)

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https://emanzipation.bandcamp.com/album/and-then-the-bombs-came