Crocell is approaching its 20th anniversary.
Just two years after their previous album, the Danish band comprising Tommy Christensen (guitar), Onkel Kusse (bass, Illdisposed), Andreas Posselt (drums, Compos Mentis, Phantom), Asbjörn Steffensen (vocals, ex-The Petulant), and Mads Gath (guitar, Dysgnostic, Urkraft, ex-The Petulant), is releasing its seventh album, Swarm of Insects, via Emanzipation Productions.
Sarcophagus introduces the album with a dark yet relatively gentle intro compared to the rhythm section that follows, far more impressive but fairly slow, revealing an unsettling edge reinforced by expressive screams. The mix eventually picks up speed, creating increasingly furious waves while remaining rooted in its heady Black Metal roots, before abruptly fading out to give way to Sculptor of Nations, which explodes all at once once its calm melody ends. The track is at times the very embodiment of rage, yet knows how to calm down to offer ethereal choruses that feel like a true breeze in the storm, allowing the vocalist to become even more theatrical before charging into Swarm Of Insects, which takes over and also imposes its virulent rhythm. The leads are much sharper on this track, which is not only the shortest but also the most aggressive on the album, and is followed by Traitors’ Blood, which effortlessly takes up the mantle of violence and channels it in its own way with an apocalyptic atmosphere. The virulent Old School roots are particularly effective on this lengthy track, but note also the oppressive final that leads into Layrinthian Tunnels, where the frantic pace reigns once more, while occasionally offering a touch of haunting melancholy to heighten the contrast. The band finally anchors itself in harrowing tones with Shredded Banners, a slower track that fully exploits all the band’s roots to weave a veritable veil of unhealthy terror that builds constantly, only allowing us to catch our breath at the very end. The sound ignites with Wolfen Man, a track that starts off somewhat distant but explodes a second time to reveal its full power, creating an impenetrable wall of riffs that stretches out before us and then vanishes to let Volcano erupt and unleash all its darkness with foul roots that are felt at every moment in the rhythm section, whether during the slow passages or the final frenzy.
Crocell continues to evolve, whether in the aggressive or dark side of Black/Death Metal, creating ever-greater contrast in their songs. I have no doubt that Swarm of Insects will make a strong impression.
85/100
