Review by Felix on June 23, 2021.

I do not think that we need a long opening speech with regard to Warhammer. A lot of metal fans have never heard a song of the band, but everybody knows that the guys from Germany hail this certain black metal legend from Switzerland. (I am sorry for having forgotten its name, but I am getting old.) It goes without saying that the Germans continue to stick to the proven concept. The guys of Warhammer celebrate the glory of morbidity, and they do it in an experienced manner.

Based on a solid level of musicianship, the band provides its special kind of aesthetics. Simple melody lines sound sick and seem to originate from a slightly disturbed brain. Primitiveness and violence are combined and they outline a very dark and cryptic picture. The rusty guitar sound conveys the feeling of mortality and squeaking feedback effects increase the degenerated aura. If you want to get warmed up by the sun, you have to leave the dark realm of Warhammer.

As a matter of course, Warhammer's song-writing process has not much in common with any kind of inventive activities. The band is not interested in trying out something new. This would be a cardinal sin, because the strict concept must not be damaged. Warhammer have defined a clear priority. The compositions follow the concept, not the other way round. Hence it follows that unnecessary absurdities, for example acoustic guitars, female vocals, violins or saxophones do not occur. "Modern" stylistic devices like blast beats are missing as well. Warhammer pay a price for this way of proceeding. Bands that reproduce the sound of a previous legend will hardly gain a high degree of popularity, but they are always at risk to be dismissed as copycats. So what? The guys do not care about this situation. As already mentioned, their concept is holy and anything else is of minor importance. Frankly speaking, I like this kind of stubbornness.

The songs themselves show a more than solid talent for the creation of comprehensible pieces and it does not take much to identify a handful of highlights. 'Dawn Of The Cadaver Ghoul' constitutes a prime example for the approach of the band. Based on a primitive yet expressive riff, the song develops constantly while praising the artistic form of death. The guttural voice of the lead singer avoids any kind of variety, maybe in order to emphasize the lifeless aura. This song is equipped with a mid-paced rhythm and this is not an isolated case. The opener, usually a representative song, is in no hurry as well. Nevertheless, Warhammer do not eschew faster arrangements. Perhaps you like to lend an ear to 'The Conqueror Worm'. Its streamlined flow cannot push the omnipresent rotten aura into the background. Generally speaking, this contrast between the smooth guitar lines and the sick atmosphere fuels the songs of the album in an interesting manner.

The production is neither perfect nor amateurish. However, its tinny drums and the heavy-handed guitars match the archaic style of the band and this is the main thing. In view of the fact that no filler disturbs the homogeneity of Curse Of The Absolute Eclipse, I see no reason to stay away from this full-length. Surely it is not trendy and it fails to deliver an element of surprise. But it constitutes an authentic and unswerving work of four dudes that worship - for good reasons - a band that has left its mark on the evolution of extreme metal.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Felix on April 10, 2021.

What is the most appropriate term for Unleashed's debut? Semi-legendary, groundbreaking or just another Swedish death metal album? One thing is for sure, the galloping rhythms of 'Before The Creation Of Time' gave birth to the group's first classic. The song has everything a typical smash hit of a young metal band should have. Forward thrust, power, speed, catchiness without lard and an anti-mainstream attitude. It may not be a masterpiece of innovation, but this track was the first to grab me by the collar and threatenly murmur in my ear that I'd better get interested in Unleashed's music if I don't want to miss anything essential.

But of course that doesn't mean that the other pieces don't have anything going for them. Immediately after 'Before The Creation Of Time', the equally fast-paced 'For They Shall Be Slain' storms out of the speakers, followed as a counterpoint by the abysmal, dragging and threatening 'If They Had Eyes'. Heavy riffs and a demanding, but never really fast double bass form a rough block, whose grumpy melody is blown away by the northern winds at the end. These two songs define the musical range of the album.

Basically, Unleashed know the value of fast-paced songs. The album reaches an impressively high peak for the second time with 'Onward Into Glory Ride'. Again, a tank rolls over the listener, especially during the verses, although the quartet manages to give the whole thing a certain light-footed character as well. This full-length is not about lower and still lower tuned guitars. Nor is it about the most inhuman rattle possible. Hedlund, of course, doesn't twitter like a little bird at dawn, but his powerful organ doesn't need any major technical processing either. He cuts a fine figure with his sinister timbre.

Although Unleashed show no signs of flaunting their technical prowess, there is no mere rumbling on offer here. This may also be a merit of the oppressive production, which focuses more on transparency than on an underground compatibility. The mix helps all the musicians come into their own, even though the guitars may sound a little monotonous - and that is perhaps why the individual songs do not immediately distinguish themselves from each other to the degree expected. However, the dudes are able to keep a high degree of energy from the beginning to the end. They do not run out of ideas and so the finishing closer is more or less as good as the first regular song after the bootless intro. In all honesty, despite its great reputation, I don’t think that Where No Life Dwells is the best album Unleashed have ever released. But it provided the band with a hard-to-miss entry in the encyclopaedia of early nineties death metal.

Rating: 8.1 out of 10