First review

from My Last Chapter:

Hehe, a pink vinyl... It’s not often bands/labels choose to press a pink vinyl, but I most definitely like it. After a demo, an EP and six tracks on a comp LP (I think that’s about it) we have Slaktrens’ maxi LP to blast our speakers with, released by a collaboration of DIY labels. I say maxi LP since the 20 tracks are over in 16 minutes, which doesn’t make it a fullength, as some might think ‘cause of the format. And it’s 20 tracks that sure do go by in a hurry, as I’m pretty sure most of you’ve already figured out.
One of the first things I noticed here was the change in guitar sound, and it no longer reeks of Protes Bengt worship in that department. In fact, as soon as Civilisationens framfart gets going I think Kurbits I.R, a band that pops up during a lot of other tracks as well, like for instance Från mardröm till verklighet. And let me tell you; I love Kurbits I.R, so that’s definitely a big plus in my book. But the band that feels most relevant is still Krigshot, which of course means there’s also a big Mob 47 influence after all. This is frenetically mangling hardcorepunk. It’s fast and it’s fast, most of the time going by in a hurricane of distorted riffs, hammering drums and cord-shredding screams. But they actually do have some cool riffs to be detected, like for instance Sagor som fakta (which has a really cool melody just before the insanity begins) and Gudarna måste vara tokiga (which has catchy riffs all through it, but that gets even wickeder during the chorus). While the melody mentioned in the former of the two songs feels reminiscent I can’t place it, but once Strålande tider began I thought ‘hey, I know that riff’. And it took me about 30 seconds to figure it out; Disdaniel, a one-man band that released a demo in the late 90ies or something. It reminds me a whole lot of that guy’s Överpunkare track, but since my tape-deck is busted I can’t give it a listen to be really certain.
Anyways, there are tons of references to be made, but it’d feel really redundant to make even more since I’m quite certain you’ve already figured out Slaktrens’ sound by now. It’s catchy, energetic-as-fuck and most of all a real bloody bulldozer of mangle, definitely a step-up from the Ur balans 7”. It was still a two-man act for this recording, but they’ve since filled the ranks with a bassist and a new drummer, leaving Johan to concentrate only on the vocals. I wonder if that’ll change their sound in any way or if it’s just meant as a way to play live. Oh well, seeing them live would surely be a blast, at least if they manage to deliver the same intensity as the frenzied music deserves.