DEHUMAN REIGN is a band which sticks to an unpretentious, old school death metal sound. They describe their music as "pure, authentic and evil". Their belief in what they're doing comes across in the music, which makes this album authentic indeed.

Guitarists Tesk and Ulf Binder provide a bunch of interesting riffs throughout the album, and there is beauty in their simplicity. Their knack for writing hooks which suck you in is quite impressive. I reckon that if I saw the band live, I'd end up with a very sore neck afterwards because of being unable to stop headbanging. The heavy, sinister riffs are interspersed with engaging clean solos. "Recipients of the Abominable" has some great solo work, with a harmonized part added in there too. In "Heart of the Hypocrite", the guitar solo is used effectively to introduce a slower section, and still works when the pace picks up again underneath it.

What would an evil-sounding death metal album be without evil-sounding vocals? Alex sounds like a demon from the depths of hell, with a guttural, sinister sound, yet manages to have clear diction as well. While being able to decipher lyrics isn't always important, I was nonetheless impressed by Alex's ability to sound so clear while sounding so guttural at the same time. He sounds particularly powerful on "Minds of the Insane" and "Drown in Agony".

Another powerful element on this album is the rhythm section, with Rouven on bass and Totte on drums. The former's presence is mostly subtle, but his playing gives the music an extra heft. The latter both pummels the listener, while retaining precision. The "war drums" in the intro track set the scene for the album perfectly. It's not all blasting all the time, and the drums go quiet or slower in a way that balances out the song while remaining coherent. Totte's blasting is showcased to good effect on "Stench of the Infected" and "Mental Hibernation", while he brings in a slower pace via a drum fill on "Heart of the Hypocrite". Additionally, I liked Rouven's unexpected little bass solo on "Articulating the Unspeakable".

If you like old-school, sinister death metal, then "Ascending From Below" may well be for you. This album is an old idea given a refresh, in the band's own style. Influences from other death metal bands come through in the familiarity of their sound, but I don't think that DEHUMAN REIGN ends up being derivative.