Going back to basics of Swedish Metal, ENDING QUEST was founded in 2009, featuring members of Desolator, strictly for old school Swedish Death Metal. After two demo releases, the band released their first full length album "The Summoning" in June of 2014; coming in at 11 tracks with 49 minutes of listening time. Hailing straight from the birth of Death Metal, Stockholm, it is time from some classic sounding "Stockholm Sunlight" Death Metal. ENDING QUEST is self-proclaimed as "raw, brutal, and original."

"The Summoning" is about the "suffering, pain and dark side of this rotten life" and is completely raw, brutal and original. Track one "Black Death" starts this album off right with a guitar riff that is the perfect lead into the lowest guttural growls and drums that are phenomenal. Not too heavy on the blast beats, but a perfectly balanced track where nothing is overpowering the other elements.

Track two "Sumerian Invocation" is balls to the wall blast beat beauty. The drums are still very heavy but so are the guitar and bass making for another Death Metal classic piece. The guitars are just brutal and amazing in this track. Guitar lovers rejoice for a low key beauty.

Other super brutal, original, and extremely creative tracks on the album include tracks "Voice", "Destruction of the Firmament" and "Exalted and Fireborn". I did enjoy these tracks on first listen and upon the next several listens, they just kept giving me something new to find. Pieces that allow the listener to find new meaning or new elements are pieces that live much longer in the music lover's hearts. These are outstanding pieces of work.

Track 10, the title track "The Summoning" is a wonderful outro for the album and an even better intro to the final track of the album "The Lament Configuration". "The Summoning" is much softer interlude with a symphonic base that leads right back in the raw riffs of ENDING QUEST.

I give "The Summoning" a 9/10. When these guys said they are "raw, brutal, and original" and that is exactly what they meant. This is the new old sound. This is Death Metal back to its roots. This is outstanding.