Over the years, the Swedish death metal scene has made a name for itself globally. Not only do the bands provide something for varying tastes, but they also influence others in far-flung countries. If you like your death metal old school and nasty, then DAEMONIAC may be the band for you.

Opener "Intro/Macabre Eucharist" sets the scene for an album that pulls no punches. This isn't going to be a peaceful sort of "ceremony". After this hard-hitting track, things don't let up from there, apart from a few brief pauses and slower tempos that allow the listener to have a slight breather. "Regurgitated from Hell" is a fast, thrashy number, but with an effective break in the music before a barrage of sound comes in to pummel the eardrums once more (but in a good way). "Intro/Procreation of Hatred" slows its pace towards the end, providing some variety.

DAEMONIAC isn't trying to break any molds here, but they do what they do competently. But as much fun as old school death metal can be, I found the back half of the album to be mostly uninspired, apart from the MACRODEX cover. The cover is faithful to the original, while not being a carbon copy. It's a headbanger of a track, with catchy alt-picked riffs and interesting drum work from Dave. Nicko is solid on guitars, although I felt that he mostly ran out of ideas during the back half of the album. However, he does well in creating a sinister atmosphere and an old-school guitar tone. While the production aids the guitar tone, I felt that it let down vocalist/bassist Max to some extent, as well as drummer Nicko. The vocals have a somewhat "squashed" feel, while the cymbals sound muddy in places.

I wouldn't call this a terrible album, and for me it would be ideal for throwing on if I wanted to get into a festive mood pre-metal gig. While "Spawn of the Fallen" didn't blow me away, that doesn't mean that there isn't a ready audience who'll enjoy straightforward, no-fuss, old school death metal.