The adventure continues for Thermality.
With their third album, Concept 42, Hampus Sätterlund (drums, Satan Is Retard), Ludvig Sommar (vocals), Noel Hoflund Jonsson (guitar), Ture Skärfstad Stål (bass), and Walter Hamilton (guitar, Satan Is Retard) consolidate their alliance with Black Lodge Records.
We start with Friction, which quickly shows us the melodious foundation with Swedish roots, then shifts into jerky and aggressive patterns that provide a brutal touch while maintaining a catchy groove, but also furious vocals and some calmer choruses. The track passes fairly quickly and gives way to Helix, which takes a similar approach but knows how to take advantage of quieter moments in the choruses, making it one of the most balanced tracks on the album, while Brainstorm, which comes next, offers very modern tones in the harmonics. The clean vocals also temper the rage, then we ease back in with Inception, which features some solid riffs, but above all a certain slowness conducive to the melancholy of its guitars, without forgetting its more intense passages. We continue with Concept 42, which returns to aggressive tones but also features heady and elaborate leads, then Reminiscence gives us a brief moment of respite before charging ahead again and offering us a rather imposing sound in more or less threatening waves. There is another moment of hesitation before Breaking Point imposes a more sustained rhythm to build its energetic riffs, then The Hollow distills a sound that is already more rooted in the Old School tones of Melodic Death Metal. The sharp harmonics do an excellent job in these virulent riffs despite a calmer break, but the reprise is all the better for it, followed by Bright Side, which also gives us a breather before striking in turn with a marked contrast between the aggressiveness of the verses and the sweetness of the unifying choruses. “Smile” takes over with a solid base and soaring passages, but the track speeds up again after its break to lead us to Lost Inside, which is virulent from the outset but often slows down, even offering a niche for some female backing vocals. However, the album ends with Tomorrow, which also adopts some more airy and haunting tones that color the entire track.
Thermality continues to draw on its Swedish roots to forge a sometimes rather raw Melodic Death Metal sound, but one that has the merit of being as effective as ever. Concept 42 brings the genre to life and allows the band to claim its origins.
80/100
