Riket is celebrating its tenth anniversary in style.
After two EPs, a live album, and a few singles, the Swedish Death Metal band led by Nephente (vocals, ex-Netherbird, ex-Sodomisery), Micke André (bass, Terminal Prospect, ex-Netherbird), Felix Wahlund (drums, Nazghor, Northborn), Jussi Niiranen (guitar, Terminal Prospect), and Ture Aspelin (guitar, Northborn) is finally unveiling its debut album, simply titled 2026, with the support of Black Lion Records.
Tobias Jakobsson (ex-Netherbird) had recorded his guitar parts before leaving the band.
We kick off this album with 1868 – Sommar vid vinterviken, a somewhat jagged and catchy opening track that draws on the roots of death metal and infuses them with heavier tones, while still making room for furious vocals that rage almost continuously during the most aggressive passages. There’s a slower but also heavier break, then we move fairly quickly to 1867 – Storsvagaret, a new wave of raw power with a melodic touch quite present in the harmonics, once again anchoring the band in its Swedish origins. The menacing build-up leads into a harrowing solo, followed by a final chorus, before 1965 – Hoghus och kultur takes over at breakneck speed, allowing the double bass drum to fully express itself and providing the perfect rhythmic foundation to complement the fury. Its length allows for heavier, sustained passages and a heady groove, but we eventually arrive at 1948 – Att doda ett barn, which features airier leads and gives the guitars greater freedom, making it one of the most accessible tracks. 1885 – Dodsdansen (I Manskensnatten) grants us a moment of respite before charging full speed ahead, almost borrowing its most brutal patterns from Death/Grind, but the track also knows how to be more hypnotic with a melancholic final followed by 1897 – Mot polten. While the sound is initially quite cold, it quickly returns to aggression and then to those haunting melodies that alternate with waves of power, perfectly punctuating the composition before 1991 – 2000 ar (Saliga aro de talmodiga) grants us a moment of respite with its intro, only to better hammer us with its killer riffs laden with harmonics. The same concept is evident on 1937 – Lagor vid portarna, which proudly showcases its bright melodies woven into a fierce, driving rhythm, even incorporating some polished heavy metal influences that blend perfectly with the solid rhythm section, followed by 2009 – Alla ska i jorden offers us a soaring acoustic intro followed by haunting sounds, while the vocalist reveals another facet of his voice—more plaintive, yet perfect for this closing track.
While the band had managed to fly under the radar, Riket is back in full force with this debut album! 2026 is fully infused with its Swedish roots, allowing the compositions to be as aggressive and melodious as one could wish!
90/100
