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By JEFF MAKI
One Man Army and the Undead Quartet (what a name, eh?) is the new band featuring Johan Lindstrand, former vocalist of The Crown. The Crown existed for 14 years while releasing six albums of quality Swedish death metal before disbanding in 2004. If there's one word to describe 21st Century Killing Machine, it's just that: quality. What One Man Army may lack in complete originality, they make up for with a brutal, riff-ladened album of memorable Swedish death metal. The style could be compared to fellow countrymen Entombed, At The Gates or The Haunted, or even Florida death metallers Morbid Angel, but there's enough material here to keep the average fan's attention, as well as a few surprises.
Lindstrand's vocals are a deeper, rougher growl, with his lyrics coming across as evil and straight to the point. Spoken word is present in small bits and pieces, and even an infusion of melody can be found on tracks such as "Devil On The Red Carpet" or "Public Enemy No.1." These are two of the album's strongest tracks. The band churns out some of the thickest grooves and evil riffs in recent memory, and the fact that it's not all done at 100 mph is for the better, making them stand out that much more. The band slows it down on "Hell Is For Heroes," with slower spoken vocals and a bit of acoustic guitar, leading up to the song's shout-along chorus and impressive soloing. This track is almost reminiscent of material from Slayer's Seasons In The Abyss. The album's 10 tracks are heavy and for the most part basic getting straight to the point. So many bands these days try to cram 20 ideas into a song, until you've forgotten what the hell happened by the time you're through with it. That's not the case here.
The first part of the disc is only an introduction to the mayhem that ensues on the latter half. The band cuts it loose a bit as we near the midpoint with vicious blast beats and impressively evil twists and turns. At times it sounds as if they're playing a show for Lucifer himself on tracks such as "When Hatred Comes To Life" and "So Grim So True So Real." These songs alone make me wonder if One Man Army doesn't rival any other death metal band currently on the scene. And if the rhythmic riff and tribal-esque skins of "Branded By Iron" don't get your ass movin', the pack your shit and go home. Most impressive to say the least.
Despite not being the most original effort, 21st Century Killing Machine is a stellar debut full-length release for One Man Army. It is a must-have for death metallers in 2006 and beyond. The album, recorded in Gothenberg, Sweden boasts crystal clear production, with nothing getting lost in the mix, hitting you hard from beginning to end. This album ranks right up there with Decapitated's Organic Hallucinations and Kataklysm's In The Arms Of Devastation, as the top extreme metal releases thus far in 2006.
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