Ever wonder what Dissection would sound like if they were a Death Metal band? Well, even if you haven’t, Dissection does Death Metal, might be the best description for this band. Sure enough, Soulreaper guitarist Johan Norman, and drummer Tobias R Kellgren played in Dissection and obviously had a major say in the song writing. Soulreaper, however, is far from a Dissection clone, but you can hear certain aspects of Dissection song writing and riff style in the songs every now and then, and rather than a detractor, it’s quite the opposite. Though a bit on the short side, Soulreaper has dealt me a crippling blow due to some pummeling Death Metal.

Though released in 2000, I just came across this CD thanks to Jack a little while ago. While Dissection isn’t my favorite band, aside from Jon Nodtveidt’s murder conviction, the bands’ music is undoubtedly classic material, so I was pleased to find out that two Dissection members decided to expand and move on in their musical careers. As mentioned Soulreaper have a noticeably similar riff and song arrangement style as Dissection did, though perhaps a little more brutalized. The bands other influences seem to be quite varied as you can’t really push them into a corner and name just two bands… but rather many bands. This gives Soulreaper , in my opinion, a refreshing sound in the Death Metal field as there is a little bit of the US style and a little bit of the European style, however, I would say that the European sound is more prominent. The music varies back and forth between fast and brutal sections and slower, more atmospheric parts (comparisons to Nile can be made here). Soulreaper seem to constantly be changing their tempos and atmosphere surrounding their songs and this makes for an easy listening experience, compared to a band that just does blast beats through the whole song. It also makes the songs more memorable as there are usually a number change ups that really stick out in each song such as the end of Ungodly.

The vocals on Written In Blood are excellent, courtesy of Christoffer Hjertén. At times they remind me of Mr. Hustler from Blood Red Throne, but not quite as deep. Various tones are used and most of the lyrics can also be heard. The phrasing is really catchy, and clever (not overused) use of two vocal tracks to accentuate certain lines is also present. The drumming is also amazing. The drumming in Dissection was always good but Kellgren has gotten even better since those days. His double bass is all over the place with quick starts and stops, and he changes the tempo of the double bass at the drop of a hat. His fills are so good they almost drive some of the mid-paced sections as well. Meanwhile, the production is also a highlight; the drums actually sound somewhat real, especially the snare and everything is mixed well. I would say the production gives the band a similar atmosphere that was present on Dissection’s two full-lengths, which is a good thing.

All the songs come together nicely as they are cleverly arranged and executed. The title track is probably the most similar to Dissection and Blood Subterranean almost has a touch of Immortal at times, this gives the band a slightly epic feel… in a Death Metal kind of way (not that Immortal is Death Metal, but well, just listen to it). My only complaint is the length of the CD. Yes, some songs are long but 7 songs into 35 minutes makes me want more… a lot more. While not quite legendary or ground breaking material I really enjoyed this along the same levels of In Vain by Soul Demise. I’ll be keeping an eye out for their next release, which is due out in June.