Welcome to The Saw’s Butcher Shop. It’s Ya Girl – The Saw. And I’m passing through, checking your restraints, and making sure you know about a new EP dropped by a newer Death Metal band (albeit, with older Death Metal musicians). Darkened is a “super group” of sorts – comprised of some Heavy Metal veterans – with two full-length studio albums. Lord of Sickness and Bile is the EP the band just released on July 21, 2023 (Edged Circle Productions), and it is truly sick. 

A Swedish/Canadian band, Darkness formed in 2018 by drummer Andy Whale (ex-Bolt Thrower), bassist Tobias Cristiansson (Grave, ex-Dismember), vocalist Gord Olson (Demisery), and guitarists Linus Nirbrant (A Canorous Quintet) and Hempa Brynolfsson (Excruciate). Lord of Sickness and Bile features the recording debut of Darkened’s new drummer, Perra Karlsson. Though this EP is only two songs, it is a banger! And certainly worth it!

“Steal-Kill-Destroy” is pure Death Metal, Blackened to perfection. Olson’s vocals are incredible – crystal clear gutterals; well enunciated deep register rumbles! A quick melodic tempo drives this mid-paced song from start to finish. The band performs very well together, like they’ve been together longer than five years. And the new drummer, Karlsson, plays brilliantly – excellent combos, double-bass, blast beats, and mature timing. At nearly 6:00 minutes in length, the track is brutal; switching gears several times, but always returning to that melodic groove. This is really a great song!

“Archaic-Wounds” is less melodic, but no less brilliant in execution. This one reminds me of some old Death (like, from Spiritual Healing days). The bridge is a catchy melodic hook, but most of the track is straight-forward grinding Death Metal. At about the 2:18 mark, the lead break is an incredible display! Very dramatic, and very dark in its sense. At 3:15 the song returns to form – grinding it out. The emotional sense of the vocals, here, I think, are what gives this song a real hook, as a whole. Darkened are doing some things with Death Metal that is not often heard – dramatic, emotional, without compromising in brutality. This song is brilliant!

Discography:

Into the Blackness – EP (2019)

Kingdom of Decay – Debut Full-Length (2020)

The Black Winter – Sophomore Full-Length (2022)

Lord of Sickness and Bile – EP (2023)

Stay Metal,

THE SAW