If you're like me, the extreme specificity of metal "genres" is both amusing and mystifying. Against I keeps it relatively simple, describing its sound as "blackened melodic death metal". The blackened part is easy: The rhythm guitars are washes of sound (though keyboards also provide a fair amount of the background as well). As for melodic, the lead guitar soars like the best, and the bass bounces more than throttles. As for death metal, Fredrik Keith Corona has a solid growl.

Against I Songs for the Dying (Twisted Flesh Recordings)

But that misses the most interesting part: These songs are catchy and structured a lot like mid-90s Anthrax or (much more appropriately) Fear Factory. There are electronic beats hiding behind the sound, and these kinetic pieces are an addictive listen. These boys may be Swedish, but they're closer to their American influences than Dan Swano (though his influence is far from negligible).

How do you create catchy death metal? Keep your songs around four minutes long, adhere to established songwriting structures and stay up-tempo. Call it proto-thrash (which is where I'd kinda lean) or perhaps whatever you might call early Megadeth. Doesn't matter. Take those late 80s vibes and then load them up with plenty of heavier influences.

A refreshing blast. Against I isn't reinventing anything, but I haven't heard a modern metal band channel all of these influences in quite this way. Purists will scoff, but I don't have use for fundamentalists of any kind. Against I is moving forward. Don't fall behind.

Jon Worley