BLOODBATH, the Swedish/British death metal supergroup which features in its ranks KATATONIA‘s Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström, along with ex-OPETH drummer Martin “Axe” Axenrot and PARADISE LOST frontman Nick Holmes, will release its sixth full-length album, “Survival Of The Sickest”, on September 9 via Napalm Records.
Produced by BLOODBATH and co-produced and mixed by Lawrence Mackrory at Rorysound Studios, “Survival Of The Sickest” offers no respite from the horrors of reality. Instead, with the addition of new guitarist Tomas “Plytet” Åkvik (LIK),BLOODBATH‘s latest and greatest album gleefully confronts the slavering ghoul lurking in the shadows, and treats him to ten songs of ripping death metal frenzy. Alongside BLOODBATH‘s official alumni, “Survival Of The Sickest” boasts a smattering of irresistible cameos from the great, good and ghoulish of the metal underground, including Barney Greenway (NAPALM DEATH),Luc Lemay (GORGUTS) and Marc Grewe (MORGOTH).
Alongside its pre-order kickoff, BLOODBATH has released the Ash Pears-directed music video for the crushing new single and album opener, “Zombie Inferno”, a thrashing death metal assault set to draw the listener into a lunatic outburst of ferocity. The song breaks in with anxiety-inducing riffs and the insanely killer vocals of Holmes, and is visually highlighted via a fast-paced, gory music video, acting as a tribute to the glory days of 1980s splatter flicks.
BLOODBATH comments on “Zombie Inferno”: “One man’s struggle to rid the world of zombie infestation that seems to have inconveniently taken over the planet. Particularly, as he’s just refueled his 1969 Dodge Super Bee 440.”
From the thuggish brain-smash of opener “Zombie Inferno” to the bleak, obsidian ooze of closer “No God Before Me”, “Survival Of The Sickest” is the sound of a great band in blistering form. In contrast with “The Arrow Of Satan Is Drawn”, which borrowed heavily from the blackened end of the death metal world, the new BLOODBATH goes straight for the jugular in true old-school fashion. With strong echoes of everything from MORBID ANGEL and DEATH to DEICIDE and OBITUARY, songs like the rampaging “Putrefying Corpse”, the disgustingly slow and heavy “Dead Parade”, and the deliciously twisted “Tales Of Melting Flesh” breathe fresh fire into an arcane, perpetually rotting formula.
Formed by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström (both of KATATONIA),Mikael Åkerfeldt (OPETH) and Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY) in 1998, BLOODBATH devoted themselves to resurrecting the increasingly forgotten art of pure death metal. In 2014, they unveiled a new frontman — legendary PARADISE LOST vocalist Nick Holmes, now redubbed Old Nick — and yet another macabre musical evolution. With this new lineup, the only way to go was grim. On “Survival Of The Sickest”, BLOODBATH evoke their most horrifying sonic scenarios to date, from the death-by-munching nightmare of “Malignant Maggot Therapy” to the murderous nihilism of “Affliction Of Extinction”. A glorious comeback from a legendarily wicked musical force, “Survival Of The Sickest” provides yet more proof that BLOODBATH are the kings of the old school.
BLOODBATH adds: “If there was a declaration of goods attached to this album, it would say Florida death metal exported from Sweden.”
“Survival Of The Sickest” track listing:
01. Zombie Inferno
02. Putrefying Corpse
03. Dead Parade
04. Malignant Maggot Therapy
05. Carved
06. Born Infernal
07. To Die
08. Affliction Of Extinction
09. Tales Of Melting Flesh
10. Environcide
11. No God Before Me
BLOODBATH is:
Nick Holmes – vocals
Anders Nyström – guitar
Tomas Åkvik – guitar
Jonas Renkse – bass
Martin “Axe” Axenrot – drums
Photo credit: Ester Segarra