It's common for people to ignore the 'ties' between the past and the present. With an open mind (and throwing all the kinds of preconceptions about music into the garbage can) one can trace and 'hear' the clear remnants of BLACK SABBATH's music into Modern Metal and Alternative Metal tendencies. It's just something that comes from practice. And the Swedish KNOGJÄRN musical work shown on their latest release, the album "Mera Bedövning", offers a very good opportunity to exercise your ears and minds. They play a form of blend between modern Hard Rock, aspects of traditional Heavy Metal (in the usual modern embodiment), and some traces of Modern and Alternative tendencies, all put into their creative cauldron.

The result is something abrasive, heavy and nasty, but plenty of hooking melodies and choruses that are easy to hear and sing with the band (as shown on "Varje Gång"). It's full of energy and personality, and the hooks used are in that same way of the Clive Barker's creatures (the Cenobites of "Hellraiser" series of books and films): once hooked, never free of them again. And it's really very good! The album was produced by Oscar Nilsson at Crehate Studios (with Niclas Engelin co-producing "Aldrig Mer" and "Bedövning"). The sonority is fiery, bitter and heavy, into a modern way, but in a defined way that turns everything understandable. A good balance was reached, indeed.

"Mera Bedövning" shows an experienced band that knows precisely what to do. And the homogeneous creative level of the songs makes the album great to be heard, especially on moments as "En Sista Gång" (there are some parts where some Thrash Metal elements can be heard, but the catchy melodies and strength of bass guitar and drums are astonishing), "Bedövning" (a very good mix between influences of Hard Rock and Modern Metal elements, with a very good work of the guitars, but with a remarkable chorus), "Varje Gång" (even with such bonecrushing weight, there are some accessible touches clear to the ears, and what lovely contrasts between the tunes of voices), "Vad Du Än Behöver" (another very good and abrasive song, with a massive and nasty energy flowing from its melodic lines), "Aldrig Mer" (this is the famous 'radio song' that is used to reach a broader public, filled with excellent catchy melodies and some melancholic parts), "Kopplet Runt Min Hals" (some Hardcore elements can be heard in the mix this time, but never without a charming melodic outfit tempering the aggressiveness), and "Akta Dig". But this album will become an addiction when heard for the second time.

What is heard on "Mera Bedövning" shows not only the experience of the quartet, but that the tendency that KNOGJÄRN follows the same path of VÖLBEAT: to become a giant in the future.