This hour I feel lousy. Tomorrow I have to go on a long business trip and as luck would have it I got a massive head cold. My wife and kid left to a friend’s party, and I am at home all alone. Having poured myself a few vodka shots (an old Ukrainian recipe for cold), I turn on the hockey playoffs (on mute), and face the choice of music to blast through my speakers. Should I go for a depressive doom to make me further wail in my misery, or should I blast some good ol’ death metal? Some good ol’ death metal sounds good. Hmm, where is that new Dismember album … Face it, after 5 years of complete absence the band either will come roaring back, or totally fade into oblivion. What should it be?

Before I could catch my breath (or even before the first hockey scrum starts) I already know the answer. This is going to be the comeback of all comebacks. Without any time wasted for an intro the legendary Swedes blast into the title track with trademark buzzsaw guitar sound, slight grind tendencies, cantankerous vocals courtesy of Matti Karki and bass plowing so hard my subwoofer is about to jump off the shelf. Forged With Hate has got the grrrrroove only Dismember can pull off, and melodic undertones of the song pinnacle perfectly with a harmonized special solo. I am a sucker to such Dismember songs, I will be the first to admit. Another track in this vein is Tragedy of the Faithful, melodious throughout, slowing down towards the end with a squealing solo and a riff to remember.

I’d say though that Dismember did not just mount a comeback to their 1999 level of Hate Campaign. Where Iron Crosses Grow is a comeback all the way back to the roots of Like an Everflowing Stream and Indecent & Obscene. Testament to that would be tracks like the title one, As The Coin Upon Your Eyes and, especially, Sword of Light with another special solo sandwiched between fast and brutal parts. Drum production by Fred Estby is unbelievable, textbook for many to follow, double bass pounding, snare juicy and cymbals crashing.

The album has some tracks where Dismember “rocks out” and borders on doom with its slow and stretchy pace. Songs like Where Angels Fear to Tread invoke Armageddon and sow fear. Drums, like mortars going off, hellish screams and solo reminiscent of Toni Iommi. I, actually, felt that the band paid more tribute to Black Sabbath with an opening riff in Chasing the Serpent and slow distorted Children of the Cross.

The hockey game is over (the Leafs won, yeah) and boxing is on now. Klitchko, a heavyweight from Ukraine, beats the tar out of some “little” white dude, and Dismember closes proceedings with As I Pull the Trigger. This stomping death roll with strong melodies is so far my Death Metal Song of the Year. I play it like five times in a row, and feel exhausted. The album that is not even 40 min long makes me feel totally drained (or is it the vodka?). Even the cold seems to have subsided.

Years ago people where saying that Dismember is simply a little brother of Entombed. The little brother was not as prolific, but definitely remained true to the core, and has really turned nasty by its sixth full-length. I know it is a crime, but I always liked Dismember more than Entombed. All fans of old school Swedish death metal – Where Ironcrosses Grow is a treat.