A solid selection of metal moments.

Sweden’s Sparzanza have been in existence for 16 years and have produced five studio albums previously, and have - it would seem - built something of a cult following during this time. For this release the band have dug a little deeper into their minds and put together a darker selection of music. With a title like’ Death Is Certain Life Is Not’ you know you’re not going to be getting a album of country ballads!

Taking a dark view of the world lyrically suits a song like ‘Legion’; the vocals are at one moment narrated, the next sounding like a cross between a barking dog and a toad, the music is both heavy and brooding. Despite the industrial clatter of ‘Fallen Ones’ the chorus has an attractive melody that singer Fredrik Weileby handles well enough to release the finer moments of the song. The production is rough and heavy and the dark grooves of ‘Dead Inside’ would not be out of place on a Rammstein album, unfortunately without the monumental German vocals it loses bite.

It would seem Sparzanza deliver a solid selection of metal moments under their collective umbrella and don’t seem afraid to experiment with their writing. ‘Ad Viventes’ uses dark Latin choirs one moment then muscular guitar work, while ‘When Death Comes’ has the inventive use of a string section to add flavour, something Within Temptation have also used to great effect. Most of the songs follow a familiar path of anguish ridden metal such as ‘Endeavour The Dark’ and ‘I Am Your God’, but it all gets a little tiresome and you start to long for some sunlight among the shadows.

If you like your lyrics and melodies sounding like they have been burped from the Devil’s underbelly then maybe Sparzanza will have a lot to offer you…

Ray Paul