Hearse - In These Veins (2006)

The fourth album from Sweden's Hearse is quite a study in contrasts, or rather, the lack of contrast. While it's a far harder rocking effort than its predecessor The Last Ordeal, it's also the band's least dynamic offering musically, sticking quite closely to the punk-fueled death & roll rhythms, though the melodic surging continues in small doses. Some would inevitably find this more to their liking than other Hearse albums, if only because it seems to jive better with the pure aesthetic of the genre that Entombed started with Wolverine Blues. In These Veins is not the finest hour for Johan Liiva and crew, but it's a solid block of rock that you could ignite while burning down any cosmic roadway and at least get the neck hammering away.

"House of Love" doesn't conjure up anything truly catchy, aside from maybe the male choir backups in the bridge, but it boils up a cauldron of high powered riffing that benefits from the same massive production standard as the previous album The Last Ordeal. "Corroding Armour" goes for broke with a big dragstrip stoner groove that surges into more of the band's effortless punk chords, with some brief transitions into death metal and hardcore rudder riffs that serve as the chorus. Again, not insanely catchy, nor is "Intoxication", which once again bludgeons forth with death punk attitude, this time even picking up through the bass breaks and counter vocal angst. "Naked Truth" sticks close to the tree, d-beating drive rhythms with some great vocal echoes and a pretty cool, eerie little break with the guitars wailing to offset the melodic death.

"Crusade" feels like the band's take on a more nostalgic strain of hard rock & heavy metal, but it retains the punk and squealing, cautionary leads of many of their other songs. It's quite catchy and one of the better songs on the album, followed by the blunt thrash-core of "Among the Forlorn", which also has some great little guitar harmonies and a decent thrash breakdown. "Atrocious Recoil" has the most memorable of the album's melodies, a simple line over a surge of jet-fueled death which wouldn't be out of place for Amon Amarth. After three albums, the band finally decided to include a namesake song, and "Hearse" is another of the more memorable trips on the record, with giant crashing chords and ballsy blues grooves. The title tracks leads us out, a punchy number with a shuffling gait in between a forgettable death line, but the best solo on the album by far.

As a whole, In These Veins is a little better than The Last Ordeal. But only a little...and it lacks the hooks to truly burn out your mind. The sound is still somewhere between Entombed's 3rd album and Liiva's work in Arch Enemy, and the mix is excellent, at most levels and in most CD players. Not the first album I'd recommend for a new listener, but if you enjoy Armageddon, Mon Amour or The Last Ordeal then it's a safe bet.

Highlights: Crusade, Atrocious Recoil, Hearse

Verdict: Win [7.25/10]

http://www.hearse.se/

Hearse - The Last Ordeal (2005)

Though in general I feel that the career of Sweden's Hearse has been on the constant upswing, their third album The Last Ordeal was a little bit of a jam in the gear. The album is not a heavy departure in style from the previous year's Armageddon, Mon Amour, and there is a great, almost live quality to the album through which you can almost feel a subliminal audience cheering for the band's rocking rhythms and blazing blues-based melody. Cranked to its full potential, there is no doubt that headbanging can ensue from its vital energies, but the actual songs do not provide much in the way of memorable entertainment, and it's another of those many albums delegated to just 'good' and going no further down the brain stalk towards the heart.

"Pathfinder" sounds good and crushing with a rock momentum that occasionally skirts the band's death metal core, but the melodies are not all that interesting, simply blues wail-offs that bridge the sodden rhythmic structure. The best part of the song comes near the 3:00 mark when Liiva does some freakish, otherworldly, demonic vocals, and then the bridge dies into a tranquil segment around 4:00 with some ethereal female singing. "Quintessence" feels more like an Entombed variety of death and roll, breaking for a thudding bass line drowned in droning guitars, before a more forward, violent thrust. While dynamic, and certainly one of the heaviest songs on the album, there isn't a lot here that I enjoyed save maybe the bridge melodies, and how Liiva doubles up his growls with a clean tone. "Shackles of Guilt" has an interesting intro, with children crooning in the foreground of what sounds like helicopter blades spinning...freaky. As the rock arrives, it features more of a series of Entombed-like balls-out punk riffs.

"Ambrosia" follows, a 2 minute instrumental laden in thick, doom-like atmosphere, where a ringing harmonic guitar follows a pattern of chords into the rolling wall of thrash that inaugurates "Una Lucha a Muerte", all brazen leads and immersive momentum that serves as the most interesting song on the album to this point. "Bountyhunter" is one better, a viral, thick death/thrasher with a lot of biting melodies that simmer foremost in the broth. Some of the atmosphere Johan creates when his vocals tear off echoing through the bludgeoning valleys of the guitars are stunning, and I really like the vibrato effect he interjects on some of the cleans. A dark trip worth taking, though the lyrics are mediocre at best.

The third and final section of the album begins with another instrumental, this time the folksy "Demon Curd" which erupts from river-rolling acoustics to blunt weapon-chords, built almost exclusively for the mosh pit or for some private activity in which you...mosh alone? Second to last "Aggravation" paints a broad blues brush with its opening salvo of rhythms, before a cool seque with a whispered sample, and then some barreling caustic death'n'punk hardcore over which Liiva offers some somber, monk-like chanting. Its a strange mix, between the more uplifting guitars and these bleak monastery overtures, but somehow works as one of the album's better tracks. "The Last Ordeal" is likewise unique, a slowly building, dark gothic rock which collapses under the weight of some crushing chords and Johan's swerving from aggressive to just somber.

This is nowhere near the best of Hearse, but pay special attention to the production of the album and the vocals, which are certainly as strong as their other albums. Though I have compared the band to Entombed often, they're really a lot more dynamic and atmospheric, as if everything were recorded to provide a cavernous (or space void) quality, which is perhaps where the subliminal audience comes into focus. If you're new to the band, I'd advise hunting down Single Ticket to Paradise or Armageddon, Mon Amour, but if your curiosity runs a little deeper, than you wouldn't be entirely disappointed with The Last Ordeal.

Highlights: Bountyhunter, Aggravation, The Last Ordeal

Verdict: Win [7/10] (to suffer is the key)

http://www.hearse.se/

Hearse - Cambodia EP (2005)

As far as an EP release goes, while I can't claim Cambodia is brilliant, it certainly should have a value to any hardcore fan of Hearse that wishes to track it down. The reason being that it contains more than merely a few new tracks, but the 2001 Hearse demo and the 2003 Torch EP contained in their entirety. Now, granted, all of those songs have already appeared on the Dominion Reptilian album, but it's kind of a nice deal to have them all here in one place, without a need to track down the originals if you're the collector type who simply wants all the music and not necessarily the original product.

"Cambodia" itself is a cover of the British pop songstress Kim Wilde's 1981 hit, which was also included with her Select album. Seems a rather far flung track for a band like Hearse to cover, and yet it somehow adheres completely to the band's melodic death & roll aesthetic. That's not to say it's one of their better tracks, but there is a great crunch to the very simplistic verse, and Liiva's just on fire, with a far larger grating tone in his voice than he's offered on the debut, and some manly backing choirs that ride in tune to the guitar harmony. "The Accused" is one of the two new originals here, with a nice accessible death line that parts into some little, crystalline melodies before a punkish vitriol erupts. It's a thoroughly entertaining tune which veers to and fro several great riffs, and the best on this EP. After this, "Wheel of Misfortune" builds an almost arabesque mystique through its intro rhythm, alongside some chugging. There are some nice, hardcore charging riffs here, and a decent lead segment, but I liked the track a little less than "The Accused".

After this, the Torch EP is reprinted in full, with two of the songs ("Torch" and "Avalon") that would prove to be counted among the stronger material of the debut album. The sound quality is comparable, if not the very same recording as the album (I can hardly tell a difference). The reprinted tracks from the s/t demo, however, feel a bit more boxy and crude in tone, though still clear enough to appreciate. Of the four, I appreciated "Well of Youth" and "So Vague" a little more than "Dominion Reptilian" or "Rapture in Twilight", but even then, I'd rather listen to the album versions.

At any rate, despite the fact that you probably owned 5 of its 8 tracks in a better format if you were a Hearse fan, the Cambodia EP is a decent value, and Karmageddon Media and the band were wise to release it with the inclusion of the older material (it's 40 minutes long...). It's not perfect, but far from a ripoff like many other releases of its type.

Verdict: Indifference [6.25/10]

http://www.hearse.se/

Hearse - Dominion Reptilian (2003)

After parting ways with Arch Enemy, Johan Liiva Axelsson was out to prove himself with several new projects. The first of these, Nonexist, released a single album in 2002 which had a similar sound to his work on Stigmata and Burning Bridges, if a little beefier in tone, but it would be Hearse where he really took flight. In the earlier years, Hearse had a sound quite like a hybrid of his albums in Arch Enemy and the death & roll sounds of Entombed or Desultory's Swallow the Snake. Thick rock and punk inspired death metal rhythms interspersed with breakout melodic riffs that feel similar to what the Amott brothers were writing in Liiva's alma mater. It was pretty clear, even with this debut, Dominion Reptilian, that this would be the band with the staying power to satisfy Axelsson, as they are five albums deep into their career now and honestly...they just keep getting better.

All this being said, Arch Enemy was not the first place in which Liiva had built a name for himself. He was also a member of the cult alt. death metal act Furbowl, and here in Hearse he is rejoined by Furbowl drummer Max Thornell. Together they blaze through 9 tracks and 43 minutes of premium grade Swedish traction, several of which are culled from the band's prior releases, the Hearse demo from 2001 and Torch EP from 2002. If you were lucky enough to score a digipack version of the album, you'll also be treated to a pair of bonus tracks, one of which, "Avalon" joined "Torch" on the EP in the previous year.

The album opens with the title track, which flourishes some of its rather dull death metal groove rhythms in a slew of frenetic melodies that escalate it into something more. Axelsson is himself here, his vocals given full reign over the carnal but uplifting epitaphs created through the riffs. "Torch" is a better song due to the busy shuffling thrash rhythms and bluesy wailing, with a glorious bridge that channels unadulterated rock & roll across some further, deep grooving. Like a lot of blues leads that are just hammered onto metal tracks, I didn't care so much for the actual solos, but the harmonies are quite good here. "Cosmic Daughter" is not only my favorite track on Dominion Reptilian, but remains one of my very favorite Hearse tracks to this day, for its subtle, gothic bass flow and brilliant escalation through melodies, enveloping some of Liiva's more gravely tones which are perhaps the only things that hang it just shy of utmost perfection. But the atmosphere is phenomenal, regardless.

There's a hole gaping wide
To have us all devoured
Nowhere for us to hide
From the corrosive showers

"Contemplation" creates a forceful punk-rock distorted bass rhythm before the guitar chords crash out beneath the weight of numerous explosive harmonies. The song actually feels a lot like some of the band's newer material (Single Ticket to Paradise), with solid hooks and a cosmic vibe which is similar to what one might feel on a Spiritual Beggars effort, although Hearse has a far darker tone due to the death metal that flows through the band's blood. "Rapture in Twilight" is a solid mid-paced rocker with some nice four chord action ringing out behind the forgettable leads, but not one of the stronger pieces on the album. This and the following "Well of Youth" are taken from the 2001 s/t demo, but the latter is a little stronger for its vibrant death metal rhythm in the verse, and I like the breakdown with the sirens and fuzzy solo. "Abandoned" trots along like a Swedish parable of "The Trooper", little leads ringing out over the writhing central melodies.

The back end of the debut provides some of its more memorable moments, beginning with the storming melancholy of "End of Days", in which the verse rhythms buzz with a brash immediacy, the bridge resounding with Liiva's barking. "So Vague" is like a space bar death blues hymn, perhaps the single most atmospheric track on the album, with some nice, haunting synthesizer work to fade it out. If you've got the digipack, this is followed by the bonus track "The Unknown", which opens with some wah-wah and subtle, serpentine riffs and features a gentle acoustic break before the rather mundane, screaming solo. This is decent, but I'm far more satisfied with the inclusion of "Avalon", burning and aggressive and highly memorable, and the closest to true death metal the album gets, without abandoning the screaming rock guitar harmonies.

Dominion Reptilian is certainly not the best of Hearse's albums, nor is it better than the previous efforts Liiva had taken part of (Stigmata, Burning Bridges, and Deus Deceptor are all superior to various degrees), but it's got more than a gallon of gasoline heart and a malleable potential stowed within it that will thankfully manifest through the band's career. I'm not a huge fan of all the band's lyrics, but that's not an issue exclusive to this one album. They're the sort of vague, pseudo sci-fi 'we're all hanging on the edge of darkness and need some universal peace' type of lyrics that fail to compel me, but this is no fault of the delivery. There aren't a lot of death & roll bands, or melodic death metal bands, that deserve your attention, but Hearse is clearly one that should merit your time.

Highlights: Torch, Cosmic Daughter, So Vague, Avalon

Verdict: Win [7.5/10] (a distant future world of stone)

http://www.hearse.se/

Hearse - Single Ticket to Paradise (2009)

I've been waiting for a knockout blow from Johan Liiva's Hearse for years, and it seems to have arrived with their fifth full-length Single Ticket to Paradise, an album that combines it's influences of Entombed and Desultory with a newfound melodic flair and excellent songwriting. The ex-Arch Enemy/NonExist vocalist and crew have been building up to this through their recent output, but Paradise dominates from front end to back, each song sinking some sort of hook into you.

A brief instrumental leads into the swaggering blues metal rhythms of "Misanthropic Charade", brutal and charging, with flurries of melody ascending from its deeper death metal hooks. The chorus is amazing, driving rock and roll intercepted by cutting melodies, all the while Liiva's brutal throat does not let up. "Sundown" uses a familiar descending pattern of notes for its opening gallop before shifting into a grinding d-beat rhythm for the verse. "The Moth" is a slower paced, epic rocker laden with simple, classic leads, and a total stoner death rock out. "An Emotional Fraud" grooves hard while routed in that thick, traditional Swedish deathstyle of pioneers Entombed. "Single Ticket to Paradise" creates big, bluesy riffs beneath well-placed samples. "The Ferocious Embrace" and "Degeneration-X" both rock, though I may not agree with the lyrical intent of the latter. The album closes with "Your Purgatory", a gloomy 'romantic ballad' that makes for a nice break from the intensity to come before.

Single Ticket to Paradise sounds fantastic, in fact it might be the best sounding death & roll record of the 21st century thus far. Huge guitars, biting melodies, impacting energy, and one of the better vocalists in melodic death metal all contribute to a real winner for Hearse. Should be on the shopping list of anyone that longs for the days of Wolverine Blues, Swallow the Snake, Burning Bridges or Stigmata.

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10]

http://www.hearse.se/

Hearse - Armageddon, Mon Amour (2004)

I can't help but think of how the past four Arch Enemy albums had sounded if Johan Liiva had remained with the band. If his work in Nonexist and Hearse has anything to say, they would have kicked a little more ass than they did. Hearse is basically a death'n'roll band, in the vein of Entombed's Wolverine Blues, but with a few tweaks. Armageddon, Mon Amour is the third album, and a damned fine one if you give it the chance to rock you to the core.

"Mountain of the Solar Eclipse" gives a swift kick to the cylinder with death-tosterone fueled punkish rock riffs, feathered in Liiva's mix of brutal grunts and some offset snarls. The lyrics are very rock'n'roll/rockabilly but with a dash of the metal mystique:

This ain't the stair to heaven for sure,
it just takes you to the devil woman's door.
this might just be the seventh gate,
yes, we're talking oppression, destruction and hate!

"Turncoat" opens with feedback over pounding bass line, then bursts out into some great dual leads and a grinding verse in pure Swedish old school death metal tradition. "Crops of Waste" is a very catchy track with its mix of heavy handed riffs and chorused clean guitars in the verse. "In Love and War" soars in with a majestic melodic hook over bludgeoning chords, then rocking the fuck out. Other favorites for me on this album are "Tools" with its bluesy breakdown riffs and the excellent "Play Without Rules" which sounds like something from Left Hand Path at times, but then includes some spoken word and organs. Raging.

The mix on this album sounds like any other professional Swedish offering: intense and just about perfect. The band really mixes it up, you could consider this a hybrid between Entombed's mid period, Desultory's Swallow the Snake, and Spiritual Beggars' bluesy stoner metal. If you're a fan of Liiva's hoarse vocals or the small death'n'roll sub-category of Swedish death, you should certainly check out Hearse, and this isn't a bad place to start.

Verdict: Win [8/10] (you are nothing but a wheel in our killing machine)

http://www.hearse.se/