Since the coming of the early acts in Swedish Death Metal School (namely ENTOMBED, CARNAGE, DISMEMBER and UNLEASHED), the genre evolved, and on the hands of AT THE GATES, IN FLAMES and DARK TRANQUILLITY it gave a setp with the incorporation of melodies to the genre. And acts as DISSECTION and SACRAMENTUM into Blackened Death Metal took things into a more darkened ways (and don’t forget to put EDGE OF SANITY in the middle of driving creative forces on Sweden). And their musical heritages find on the trio CRYOSHOCK’s music an honorable heir, as heard on “The Cold New Regime”, the band’s first full-length. The whole of production and mixing were held by the band itself, having Dan “The Death Metal Master” Swanö taking care of the mastering at Unisound Studio.

It can be said that the trio reached a good level of quality on the sonority, aligning the crude and organic appeal of Death Metal with a good level of clarity. It works, but their music asks for a more defined production next time. And the cover created by the Ukrainian artist DaemorphArt is really amazing. The band is defined as a Death/Thrash Metal act, what’s not the whole truth. Again: the trio’s music is filled with different influences from Swedish classic Death Metal, Old School Melodic Death Metal and Blackened Death Metal (in the Swedish sense), so it’s in reality a hybrid. And it’s really surprising to hear such level of maturity, contrasting aggressiveness and melodies and with the songs plenty of energetic hooks. But what matters in the end of all is if the album is good. And it really is very good, indeed.

It’s obviously that they have potential to create future classic releases, but for now, even on their first album, moments as “Shock Troops” (the combination of elements of the genres name above here creates a hooking song full of contrasts and with outstanding guitar riffs), “Operation Earthworm” (again the sharp contrasts between rhythms creates excellent parts, here supported by fine work from bass guitar and drums), “Mighty Winter” (that is nearer of what younger bands of Swedish Death Metal generally show, with brilliant contrasts and melodies), “Breath of the Great Lung” (here some slower parts are amazing, exacerbating the weight, and very good sharp snarls can be heard), “Genocide Protocol” (a Blackened Death Metal/Thrash Metal song filled with nasty melodies weaved by the guitars), “535” (here into a more classic Swedish Death Metal sense), “Woes of the Terminarch” (an aggressive moment filled with catchy instrumental arrangements) and “The Cold New Regime” will show a new excellent name is rising.

It doesn’t matter how one can label their music. The most important feature is: listen to “The Cold New Regime”, and you’ll be sure that CRYOSHOCK is possibly the next great Death Metal act in Sweden.