ENGEL from Sweden has a sound that can be very temperamental to these ears, as they infuse their Melodic Death Metal template with a Cyber-Electronic/ Industrial feel that if it leans too far to that end, can be dangerously too Modern and Groove-oriented for my tastes. I'm willing to give the band many chances, as their debut album "Absolute Design" in 2007 was a solid offering, but their third record "Blood of Saints" felt too safe and familiar for those into a more commercialized version of SOILWORK if put through the Cyber blender.

Changing up two members between albums seems to have righted the ship to these ears - as vocalist Mikael Sehlin has a set of pipes and screams at his disposal to put him up in the top tier of memorable Melodic Death singers, and drummer Oscar Nilsson can perform at solid groove and speedy tempos without losing momentum in either corner. If anyone remembers the IN FLAMES albums "Colony" or "Clayman" they'll find a lot to enjoy about the riffing and roars for "My Dark Path", while the group takes a left field turn on the softer/ darker landscape of "I Am the Answer" - almost PINK FLOYD-ish in its use of layered, clean guitars and mysterious clean melodies.

Guitarists Niclas Engelin and Marcus Sunesson possess the knack of picking the right jackhammer chord progressions and balance this out with the right clean sequences to ensure long-term enjoyment - check out both aspects on highlights "When the Earth Burns" and "Your Shadow Haunts You". Sure the clean choruses can be very Pop-oriented, but Mikael can also rip the skin off your body through his harsh/ extreme growls and screams - and makes ENGEL a multi-level force for many sub-genres of Metal audiences to treasure. The occasional triplet run for "Denial", the keyboard / guitar tension for "Broken Pieces", and the propulsive tones throughout aid "Raven Kings" massive appeal.

This record could elevate ENGEL to breakthrough status given the right touring opportunities.