Review by Maciek on February 26, 2013.

There are many words to use to describe this album. Most of all it's precise, it's also fast, but most of all it's like a compilation of the best Death Metal riffs for headbanging. But this album is also amazingly fresh, it's like discovering Death Metal again. This trio managed to record an amazing album with everything what is best in Death Metal, this album is also sounding great thanks to its very good production.

There are no changes to the effect used on guitar, it has the same crushing distorted sound, yet all sounds can be heard perectly clear, same with bass guitar. And drums work perfectly with rhythms used for riffs, no matter how complicated, they remind me of Gene Hoglan, mostly thanks to very complex bass drum work and cymbals which sometimes make you ask yourself "does this guy have a third hand?". And I really like how sound of guitar and bass make the sound complete and they both execute wide variety of riffs and chords. And both vocals work pretty well together, with guitarists growling being much lower, more stomach-based, while bassist's growls are probably more lung-based, sometimes getting close to Black Metal shrieks, which can be heard on their live show more clearly.

Overall very interesting album with very good ideas and executed with pedantic precision, but not at all boring. Since I always like solos in track, I have to say that even though this album doesn't have any it doesn't need any. I guess the band which is closest to their style (at least from the band's I've heard) Krisiun is the closest. But this album is really original, with great ideas and perfect production. And it's perfect 10 to me.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 10
Originality: 10
Overall: 10

Rating: 10 out of 10

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