DESOLATOR is a Swedish death metal band featuring members of many bands including SOLILOQUIUM and WITHIN THE FALL.  "Sermon Of Apathy," is the band's second full length album; they have also released an EP, split, and a demo. The Swedish style of death metal is often imitated to varying degrees of success but it never works as good as when actual Swedes play it.  Regardless, DESOLATOR's "Sermon Of Apathy," is already set up for success with the pedigree involving the members.  This is the third album this year I've reviewed involving Stefan Nordstrom; the other two being ASHES OF LIFE's "Seasons Within" and SOLILOQUIUM's "Things We Leave Behind."

Those two releases are firmly in the doom metal genre but how does he, and his teammates, fair with death metal?  They fair well.  Very well.  Simply put, "Sermon Of Apathy," is one well done Swedish death metal album and a pure blast of enjoyment from beginning to end. The production is slick as hell.  One could argue it could use more grit and less sheen but the clear sound allows every instrument to be heard and gives it a very balanced sound.  Every band member gives a great performance so there is little to complain about being able to hear these performances with clarity.  Besides, the guitar tone is nearly perfect and the vocals are balanced between "So evil I scare children" and "I want to eat your soul."  What more do you want in death metal?

The first track, "Portal Tomb," hits hard with stand out bass that pops out from behind the guitar and actually leads the way for the song's early moments.  The guitar riffs really hit hard about a minute into the song and have that classic death metal feel that you just can't go wrong with.  The drums are a barrage of their own riffs but smartly played with crisp finesse.  Energetic vocal patterns are vomited forth with apparent ease.  The band isn't afraid to let clean guitars lend the song a melodic feel in parts and they intersect well with the heavier aspects.

A harrowing scream cuts through the darkly melodic guitar in "Creatures Of Habit," one of the more bleaker songs on the album.  This song throws in a lot of different guitar parts, including some groove and more heavier, galloping numbers.  This is a well done track that gets everything right that I like about death metal and is easily one of my favorites on the album. "Methods of Self-Deception,"  begins with the clean guitar parts while the death growls go very , very deep.  The guitar riffs, which are catchy as death metal can get, and bass compliment each other well here to create a wall of sound in which the drums play off from.  This build up bursts wide open for a brutal display of torment that, in turn, leads to a short but sweet guitar solo before the song slows down to truly devastating levels of riffage.

"The Great Law of the Dead," is the longest track on the album at just over nine minutes in length.  These nine minutes prove to be a banger of a way to finish the album.  The first couple minutes are a slower build up with a Gothic feel and some slight doom elements.  Around the two minute mark, the song goes for broke with a kill attack made of pure speed and guile.  Mid paced, methodical parts break up the directness of the speed and hold the song together at a decent, interesting pace.  The last couple of minutes feature a guitar solo that cuts deep and an atmospheric finish.

DESOLATOR's "Sermon Of Apathy," is a fine example of how to do modern death metal right while still keeping the essence of the genre's roots intact.  Highly recommended.