EYE OF PURGATORY is a Swedish death metal band who formed in 2018. "The Light House" is their second full length album. This band is another project from the ever prolific Rogga Johansson. Everything this extreme metal genius touches turns to gold and "The Light House" is no exception. It doesn't reinvent any wheels but what it does do is straight up knock it out of the park. The production is damn impressive-the album sounds like a dream: a crisp production job that doesn't take away from any of the music's edge.

The most impressive element of this album is how well it manages to blend an old school death metal approach with modern melodic sensibilities. I hope this will make sense to those who read this but  "The Lighthouse" isn't a melodic death album but rather a death metal album worth melody. I wouldn't call it subtle but the melodies aren't in your face but instead perfectly melded into the very fabric of the songs. This ensures that it hits hard all the time regardless of the music's approach.

"And From The Fog," is an excellent example and a nice intro setup to the album itself. Those riffs balance dark and light, melodic yet with an atmosphere that teeters on madness. The title track is up next and it blazes forward firing on all cylinders. It has that famous Swedish sound but little intricate subtleties that had me coming back for more and more. From 3:40 to the end is exciting and near theatrical death metal that hits all the right spots.

"Carved In A Stone Bleeding," is almost surreal with the swirl of guitars bass and drums for an imaginative death metal romp. I love how the drums work around the heavier riffs. And those growls? Menacing and evil the way death metal is supposed to be. The focus on the bass about 75 percent through the song is a nice touch and a decent break from the madness. The melody at the beginning of "They Silently Await," is oddly playful but it works well within the song despite it being one of the more intense tracks at many points. Around the 3:15 mark the quirky notes return and meld into the final passage which is neck breaking.

Some of the best riffs on the album are on the final track "Rebirther," not to mention the song as a whole being catchy and a fitting way to end the album. I really feel this album has potential to reach a wide audience. It is heavy enough for death metal fans but not so far out that it could alienate those who are just discovering the genre.