Malleus Maleficarum

CENTINEX truly became one of my favourite bands recently as I discovered their great old demo tapes and debut LP, and all of these recordings managed to give me thrills. I’ve listened to them frequently and enjoyed every tune coming from the speakers. In 1996 American WILD RAGS decided to put out this compilation album, containing CENTINEX third demo “Transcend the Dark Chaos” and some new songs those Swedes have recorded in 1995 in ABYSS Studio, what gives 35 minutes of music all together and can be defined as the second full length.

To put these songs on CD definitely was a great and wise decision as all are difficult to get in original tape versions and such CD is just a wet dream for all maniacs of Swedish death metal. “Malleus Maleficarum” opens with three new tracks that CENTINEX recorded in 1996, when they visited ABYSS Studio. Ah, first they've been recording at SUNLIGHT, then at UNISOUND and finally they moved to Tagtgren’s ABYSS. So these Swedes managed to record their music at three of the most recognisable Swedish metal studios! Quite an achievement, I have to say. To be honest, ABYSS productions are the ones I like least of these three and while listening to “Malleus Maleficarum” I've been reminded why. Even though I always loved HYPOCRISY albums, the sound was sometimes just too sterile, not raw enough – and CENTINEX here on these three tracks sounds much alike and very typical for that studio.

I definitely don’t like the drums most, as they’ve got very unnatural, almost triggered sound – which may be due to the use drum machine. You can easily spot it's the machine playing; in the faster parts especially - and it does annoy me a little. Anyway, music wise CENTINEX again proven to be great band. I don’t know if it’s just fault of the production, but they do remind me HYPOCRISY damn lot here, from their “The Fourth Dimensions” and “Osculum Obscenum” albums – and for the moment in “Upon the Ancient Ground” I can almost smell the DARK FUNERAL (from their first album’s style of course!) vibe! The guitars have the same ride and groove, even vocals remind me those from Peter and Masse Bromberg’s HYPOCRISY albums. Coincidence maybe, who knows, but just I do have such associations. Songs are still killer, not as much melody based as those from “Transcend the Dark Chaos”, more ravaging and aggressive, more pure old school death metal killers, like “Dark Visions”, which is very brutal and uncompromising song. “Upon the Ancient Ground” surely became my favourite, as this track brings great groove, bit of melody and total aggression!

As for the songs from “Transcend the Dark Chaos”, I already described them deeply in other review... They’re stunning Swedish death / black metal tracks, in the vein of DISSECTION, SACRAMENTUM and the likes, delivering both dark and cold melody, aggression and fast tempos in equal measures. CENTINEX has created there one of their best materials and maybe it differs from their earlier recordings, but as overall they shred, fit perfectly with the ABYSS recordings and all complete a stunning album, which is a must for every collector of Swedish death metal.

Oh, by the way.. It may be worth to get the 2003 re-release, as it brings some bonus tracks – DEATH and KREATOR covers, as well as another CENTINEX demo, “Under the Blackened Sky”, what is a massive bonus. This way you may get some extra songs and pay less, as the original WILD RAGS print may be quite expensive nowadays.