Megascavenger - Boneyard Symphonies

Megascavenger

Boneyard Symphonies

by Martin Knap at 20 March 2019, 10:16 AM

If you know who Rogga Johansson is, you know that he is involved in many notable bands and projects. It’s almost silly how much material the guy is producing – multiple releases every year, and so his music can be a bit workmanlike, but he also somehow never releases any duds. The idea behind MEGASCAVENGER is to have different Death Metal growlers to be featured on different tracks. Albums with multiple guest appearances are sometimes pretentiously called “metal opera”, but fortunately Johansson is reasonable enough not to put such a megalomaniacal label on this project. In the past people like Karl Willetts of BOLT THROWER appeared on MEGASCAVENGER, this time we have vocalists Adde Mitroulis from BIRDFLESH and GENERAL SURGERY or FLESHCRAWL vocalist Sven Gross making an appearance.

This time MEGASCAVENGER has put out a pretty straightforward Swe-Death record with simple, driving, somewhat melodic riffs, and catchy, almost punk-like grooves. In typical Swe-Death fashion the music is ominous, rumbling, relentless (it can reach almost SIX FEET UNDER levels of single-mindedness), and driven by buzzing guitar riffs. Not all past MEGASCAVENGER were this single-minded: the album “At the Plateaus of Leng” featured songs in many different styles ranging from classic BOLT THROWER ragers (probably written with Karl Willetts as guest vocalist in mind), but also more brooding Death/Doom numbers, there songs with more prominent keys and even clean vocals. This time around it’s rumbling, relentless Death Metal all the way.

“Grotesque World Remnants” has catchy Swe-Death main riff, powerful, gurgling vocals and some nice guitar leads too. The bridge with prominent keys provides a bit of breathing space, after that there is a riff change and the vocalist gurgles the words “grotesque… world… remnants” (with long pauses between words). “Bone and Meat Machine” shift between faster and slower sections; the faster sections have the typical driving Swe-Death riffs and a head-bopping rhythm. “Soils Reclamation” is interestingly build up: it starts with a brooding intro, the next section has a heavy, mid-tempo Death/Doom riff, in the following one more groove is added. The song reaches a high point right in the middle after which the intensity gradually decreases. Some other highlights would be the short ragers “Factory Standard Slaughterdevice” and “World-Sized Meatgrinder”. The former has a very muscular verse-riff and a beefed-up chorus with blast-beats; a catchy section with strong Hardcore vibes following that comes after the bridge will get your blood pumping for sure.

I like this record, it’s fun for what it is. But with all records where the authors take straight-forward approach monotony always becomes an issue. “Boneyard Symphonies” is well worth your time, but “At the Plateaus of Leng” is the real deal.

Songwriting: 8
Memorability: 7
Originality: 7
Production: 8