Cyclone Empire/Sound Pollution
Swedish underground heroes PUTERAEON returns with their second offering. Andy LaRoque has mixed and mastered and expectations are generally high, not least due to a few prestigious gigs. The band has only been around since 2008, the debut “The Esoteric Order” soon followed, and old school death metal is the aim here. PAGANIZER´s Rogga Johansson is a guest and general darkness and evil is promised.
I must confess to having great expectations on this one. Opener “The Great Epidemic of 1846” is not quite the smack in the face I was hoping for. And the hairs on my forearms don´t rise to “Children of Dagon” either. But the grooves are there and get more in place as “The Azathoth Cycle” unfolds. The names are mostly culled from H.P. Lovecraft´s Cthulhu myhology is anyone wonders. “Shoggoth” quickens the pace and gets me more on track, the more old school, the merrier. But the odd messiness of a track is still around, I really don´t care much for “Fleash Architect” due to the less retro nature. But apart from the closing misplaced track “Liberation”, which could have been left out entirely, the second half is a barnstormer. “Concerlatus” and “Walking with Shadows” are both at least as good as anything on the debut, and “Shapeshifter” follows closely behind. I wish for a more underground feeling next time around, and that they cling on to the 90´s grooves all the time, as well as keep and define the horror atmosphere they so cannily conceive. But if the next album is more of the first half of this…my interest fades.
Track List
The Great Epidemic of 1846
Children of Dagon
The Azathoth Cycle
Shoggoth
Flesh Architect
In the Vault
Conlaceratus
Walking with Shadows
Shapeshifter
A Bolt from the Grave
Liberation
www.cyclone-empire.com www.myspace.com/puteraeon666
