Berzerker Legion is back with a second album.
Created between the Netherlands, Sweden and England in 2016 by Jonny Pettersson (vocals, Heads for the Dead, Massacre, Rotpit, Ursinne, Wombbath… ), Alwin Zuur (guitar, Asphyx, Grand Supreme Blood Court), Tomas Elofsson (guitar, Sanctification, ex-God Among Insects, Hypocrisy live), Fredrik Isaksson (bass, Dark Funeral, ex-Grave, ex-Therion) and James Stewart (drums, Anal Stench, Decapitated, Bloodshot Dawn, ex-Vader), the band sign to Listenable Records for the release of their debut album in 2020, followed by Chaos Will Reign in 2023.
The band immediately attacks with Chaos Will Reign, a massive first track whose obvious Swedish influences bring Death Metal raw strength. The vocal parts are not left out in this wave of hatred and bloody melodies, easily contributing to violence even during the more majestic, unifying passages, before moving on to the ominous darkness of Choirs Of Anguish, the next track. Leads and massive groove mingle under an energetic rhythm, letting the musicians add a few heady keyboards to their wall of sound, before Nihilism Over Empathy returns to pure effectiveness thanks to aggressive riffs that keep their melodic touch at full speed. Towards Oblivion barely manages to slow the quintet down, revealing a jerky touch to keep its fury before accelerating thanks to a double kick roll that lets the break adopt a martial mood before charging again, then the pessimistic tones resurface with This Is The End and its haunting approach. This track’s airy slowness makes it very accessible and heady, like a sort of pause before Damnation, one of the shortest tracks on the album, pours back into the rage thanks to its impressive rhythm that will offer numerous eruptions of brutality between two heavier choruses. Backing vocals leads us into Eternal Void and its melancholic introduction, which eventually gives way to more powerful riffs, not forgetting the haunting touch in guitar leads, which are a true signature underneath the chainsaw sound that we find again after the drum introduction of Worship All That Is Dead, anchoring the track in violence. The rest continues to feed the heavy ambience, leading into Shepherds Of War, whose opening moments remain imbued with this ominous atmosphere, letting it impregnate the jerky riffs. The band slows down with From the Darkness Inside, first offering an almost solemn march, followed by a more energetic approach that still gives way to more soaring elements before the album comes to a close with Warchant, a final composition focused on epic orchestrations that punctuate its unstoppable rhythm, topped by sharp leads and powerful screams.
Berzerker Legion‘s recipe remains unchanged with this second opus. The previous album had already paved the way for its imposing ambience, and Chaos Will Reign continues in this vein, blending aggressive rhythm with devastating Swedish influences.
90/100