Engulfed by the Swarm

I first came across Polterchrist on a metal website called black metal radio. I had first heard the song, "The Battle" of Engulfed by the Swarm courtesy of that sight and I thought I'd give these guys a listen. I mean with a name like Polterchrist it sounded very promising. I then set forth on trying to locate this album. It proved very difficult however, I was eventually able to get my hands on it.

The first thing that struck me about this album is the technically demanding guitar work. On this record Polterchrist seem to have a knack for complex harmonics, take a look at "Terminal" for example. The harmonics found in that solo are absolutely mesmerizing. Also, the solo that is within the first minute of this track has to be one of my personal favourites in all of death metal.

Another thing that struck a chord with me is how relentless the drumming sounds on this release. It switches from blistering fast black metal like blasts, to expertly timed double kicking that is both fast and technical.

One thing I find odd with this record is the weird use of samples in their songs. The battle scene in the closing track "The Battle" the strange techno inspired intro to "The Art of Ferocity" and the ere calm that builds into "Terminal" Absolutely strange yet interesting at the same time.

This album is definitely a far cry from a metalcore release. It is definitely worth a listen for any fan of technical or melodic death metal, or for someone who is looking to add something that is truly unique to their death metal collection.