What is it about darkness that so fascinates our kind? Does the grime inside the gloom taste better than the golden beams of light? Or is it just the Freudian pleasure of playing in your own shit that satisfies the evolving fiend? Whatever it is...it's strong...and it suckles at the soul with sharpened teeth.

Metal - Death/Black Metal in particular - has a well-known reputation for being a vortex of all that is unholy and reeks of death; after all, the genre titles are somewhat self-explanatory in that regard. Nevertheless, Metalheads love to dip their toes into the wretched tar of this side of the musical spectrum, and yet this blackened landscape can often make things seem rather indistinguishable from each other - including sounds. The Swedish Death Metal outfit PUTRIFIED sure know their way around in the dark, but unfortunately their latest offering "The Flesh. The Scythe. The Tomb." doesn't offer enough of a glimpse into to it.

This record is...well...brief; to say the least - especially if you are to take into consideration their previous EP "Sacrilegious Purification". Nevertheless, PUTRIFIED treat it like a full-length production by even going as far as including two atmospheric interludes to tie together their B-side covers of MISFITS' "Devil's Whorehouse" and CELTIC FROST's "Morbid Tales"; both of which pay honest homage to their respective bands, even if not contributing anything novel to their tone, save for slathering the songs in heavy Black Metal.

The two originals that are featured on this offering however, are indeed quite solid. The opener "Sarcophagus (Under The Lid)" is a mean Blackened Death Metal thrasher that is sure to rock the crypt and have a few corpses peeking out from the caskets. The following number "The Scythe Descends" has to be one of the most Punk Black Metal tracks that I've heard in while...or ever. The influence of such bands as the MISFITS is truly quite evident throughout the verses as punkish chords accompany the rocking rhythm before giving way to Black Metal dissonance. The production on this EP is also surprisingly good. The sound is quite tight, but it still maintains a renowned Black Metal aesthetic.

Overall - I wouldn't turn off the lights for this one. Whilst "The Flesh. The Scythe. The Tomb." may perhaps be something that a fan of genre would like to hear, it unfortunately lacks too much content to divulge the true blackened essence of the band.