Swedish death metal veterans PAGANIZER have unleashed their fourteenth studio album "As Mankind Rots" via Xtreem Music, continuing a remarkable run of productivity that has established them as one of the most prolific and reliable acts in the Swedish death metal underground. Led by the indefatigable Rogga Johansson on vocals and guitar — a man whose involvement in dozens of death metal projects has made him something of a one-man scene — the 11-track album delivers exactly what fans of classic Stockholm-style death metal crave.
The PAGANIZER sound draws from the same well that produced ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER, and GRAVE — the holy trinity of Stockholm death metal. That distinctive Swedish guitar tone, often described as "buzzsaw" for its brittle, distorted character achieved through the legendary Boss HM-2 pedal, anchors the album's sonic identity. But Johansson has always understood that tone alone does not make a great death metal album. "As Mankind Rots" is driven by riffs that stick in the memory, tempos that shift between crushing doom passages and frenzied blasts, and vocals that sound like they're emanating from a freshly dug grave.
Mixed and mastered by Ronnie Bjornstrom with artwork by Ivan Bragin, the record features standout tracks like "Devoured," "Only Maggots," and "The Rotting End." The influence of hardcore punk and thrash metal seeps through in the shorter, more direct tracks, adding variety to the album's pacing without ever betraying its death metal core.
Fourteen albums deep, PAGANIZER continue to prove that the Stockholm sound — born in the late 1980s at Sunlight Studio under the guidance of producer Tomas Skogsberg — remains as vital and devastating as ever. For fans who worship at the altar of "Left Hand Path" and "Like an Everflowing Stream," "As Mankind Rots" is essential listening.