Review by Adam M on January 4, 2018.

Black Breath brings an old Entombed style to the table. They really have the dirty riffs to catch your attention and invoke the classics of the genre. There is still a scent of modernity to be found here as Slaves Beyond Death has the crunch and power of a more recent release. This all adds up to a fairly varied flavor, but is it one that is effective? Well, the band isn’t as potent as they were on their Sentenced to Life album and lack a bit of the charisma that made that release so vital.

This is still solid stuff that does a nice job of putting the classics to good use in a more modern frame of view. The album still lacks the amount of frantic goodness that I bestowed upon the previous release and hence loses a bit in comparison. The riffs are very crunchy and the drumming is powerful as possible. The overall effect of the album is to be potent, but it still comes up a bit short when compared to the previous album or the best of the Entombed discography. The catchiness is present and it makes for a very fun release to listen to. There is a sense of fun that makes the band enjoyable, but they back it up with tightness in the musicianship department. The musicians all perform their part rather well and come together to create a cohesive whole.

There is little to fault in the songwriting department except for the fact that this type of material has been performed better before. So, this would be a great release with added originality, but as it stands it’s only a very good one. Slaves Beyond Death gets a moderate recommendation from me, but it feels like it could have been so much more.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10