Watch out for Ravaged by the Yeti!
Led by Rogga Johansson (guitar/vocals, Revolting, Dead Sun, Echelon, Ribspreader, Megascavenger, Paganizer, Putrevore…) and joined by Michael Borders (bass, Painward, ex-Massacre) and Jon Rudin (drums, Just Before Dawn, Heads for the Dead, Leper Colony, Ribspreader…), the band signed with Testimony Records in 2026 for their second album, Snowbound Horror!
We kick things off with the simple yet effective riffs of Vengeance in Fur, a catchy opener with waves of controlled rage as the vocalist roars, delivering his usual aggressive blend before picking up the pace on Human Spoil, letting the Swedish roots offer unsettling melodies. The mix is perfectly handled to ensure a sufficiently dark atmosphere while allowing By the Hands of the Beast to showcase its furious drumming as bloody harmonics rage in the background beneath the screams. The pace slows for the sinister As Fangs Go Deep and its natural groove, which could easily serve as the soundtrack to a brutal massacre, much like Beast Prey, which adopts Old School touches, even a touch of American Death’n’Roll from the very first notes, and confirms the track’s unifying potential. Back to basics with Frozen Stiff, which immediately makes us want to headbang as the choppy riffs roll over us, especially with that sudden burst of intensity leading into They Came Through the Cold, where the band kicks off at a brisk pace to maintain that aggressive edge except during the slower passages, where a few ethereal leads burst forth without warning. More headbanging on Tusk of the Yeti, an explosive track that takes us by surprise and proves once again the trio’s consistent effectiveness, though they do slow things down a bit with Death by Icicle, offering a sound that’s both heavier and more ponderous. We move on to Snowbound Horror, the eponymous track where the pace is once again fairly accessible, allowing Rogga and his bandmates to deliver a catchy rhythm track to scream along to, then the lively Land of Ice and Snow wraps up the album while promising one last dose of riffs, reaffirming the project’s infectious intensity.
No need to spell it out: Rogga Johansson knows how to make Death Metal, and even if Ravaged by the Yeti isn’t revolutionary, the riffing is truly effective! There’s no doubt about it you’re going to be headbanging to the eleven tracks on Snowbound Horror!
85/100
