I really try hard not to be that judgmental old guy who grew up in thrash’s golden years, but most of the bands that have tried and tried again to keep that sound relevant never resonated with me. There was something missing, and the ones that tried to mimic the aesthetic never seemed to get that right either. There have been a few here and there, but most of it falls flat.
Swedish pounders Sarcator always seemed to be a step ahead of most, and on their third full-length “Swarming Angels & Flies,” they dig even deeper into the wounds, giving a nastier, darker edge to thrash, which makes total sense since their name is a combination of Sarcófago and Kreator. The band—vocalist/guitarist Mateo Tervonen, guitarist Leo Buchalle, bassist Felix Lindkvist, drummer Jesper Rosén—started pretty damn young, releasing their first demo at ages 14-20 in 2019. Now, two full-lengths later, they’re building on their smoldering knowledge base (Tervonen’s father Marko is a guitarist for The Crown, though I only mention that as an influence) and crushing musical output, which really peaks on this new collection. Yet, as you can hear, they’re still rough around the edges, so there’s room to grow, which should be exciting to hear on LP four. By the way, one CD version of the album contains the band doing a trio of covers of songs from Anti Cimex, aforementioned Sarcófago, and Sadus, but we’re only going to cover the main album.
“Burning Choir” opens absolutely on fire, blistering as vicious howls whip your flesh, carving hard into bone. Speed and violence unite as crazed cries blister, and absolute chaos explodes into “Comet of End Times.” That one tears open, a storm blasting with gale force, the aggression decimating everything in its wake. Melodic fury melts beams, blazing through mean wails, lathering lead lines, and a heavy dash into darkness. The title track ramps up with glorious guitars and throttling drums, Tervonen demanding, “Gather for the final hunt!” The playing rockets as thrashy, colorful attacks smear blood, repeated cries of, “Destroy!” leaving gory blisters. “The Deep Ends” delivers crunchy blows and ultra-catchy leads, the guitars snaking through poisoned waters. Gruff vocals batter as the charring rhythms push into lathering soloing, racing to a razor-sharp finish.
“Where the Void Begins” dawns with acoustic strains and a more mid-tempo pace based on the songs that precede it. Howls scrape as a more shadowy ambiance is achieved, things quieting more for a moment before the blasts return. Things pick up noticeably, a psyche wash staining the leads, later blending into the sky. “The Undercurrent” unloads with shrieks aching, the bloodthirsty path tearing through with added thrashiness, the vocals turning throatier. The leads create a haze while the pace begins to blind, igniting before it stampedes to a finish. “Closure” is dark and noiry, the guitars numbing with a more delicate approach, the cleanliness only reigning temporarily. The pace picks up but gathers some atmosphere, the guitars swagger, and bluesy smoke is emitted, a calculating arrival ending this instrumental piece. Closer “Unto Sepulchres” has guitars rising before cresting nastily, the ultra-fast pace leaving brush burns. Wails sting as the punishment ensues, the soloing unloading. Frantic shrieks shred sanity, and the final seismic shocks pummel as final spasms buckle the earth.
Sarcator capture something that bands twice their age never figured out: You cannot recapture an era, but you can find the same savagery that made those times so volcanically special. “Swarming Angels & Flies” is a vicious, channeled album that maintains the bloodlust of the bands that inspired them and pushes it forcefully ahead into modern times. This is an album and band likely to have long, productive runs ahead of them, and as long as they keep building on solid blocks like this, they have a chance to be one of the most impactful bands of the next decade.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/sarcatorband
To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://centurymedia.store/
Or here (Europe): https://www.cmdistro.de/
For more on the label, go here: https://www.centurymedia.com/
Meat Mead Metal 
I get a ton of anti cimex in this