Hearse

Now far removed from the shadow of his former employers, ex-Arch Enemy front-man Johan Liiva and his mates in Hearse have just released their fourth effort, and a damn good one at that. Anyone who’s heard Hearse before won’t be terribly surprised by the sound on In These Veins, but Hearse are certainly a band that deserve a little more attention. Taking the Gothenburg sound and upping the amount of classic death metal can best describe their music. Johan is also a damn good death metal growler, thereby making the experience that much more brutal. Hearse also like to experiment at times, so flashes of weird distorted vocals and samples find their way into the mix. Unfortunately the production on this record doesn’t really sound very crisp, although its muddy sound actually contributes in some small way to the gritty onslaught. Hearse are due to step up to a higher level of exposure in the world of metal and it’s always refreshing hearing a band trying something different while still remaining loud as hell.