While it seems strange to refer to a sound that has been around for over two decades as “modern”, it feels completely accurate to describe the sonic barrage of Aeon as Modern Death Metal. Renowned for keeping the intensity levels up – backed by a production to level small towns with its ripped, lean torso – for their fifth release Swedish violence-dealers have shown no relenting despite lockdown, No extra inches have been added to their waist-bands, and no sign of flabbiness added to their carb-free sensory assault. 

With guitarist Daniel Dlimi returning to the fold to join mainstays Tommy Dahlström (vox) and Sebastian Nilsson (guitars) it is little wonder that, despite the nine-year gap, God Ends Here picks things up not far from where predecessor Aeon’s Black (both Metal Blade) left them, with technical pummelling raining down hammer blows. It is as if Morbid Angel’s Domination (Earache / Giant) had found Vinnie Mc’s secret roids cupboard and mixed it with a dose of Hulk juice, waking over twenty years later refreshed and ready for a fight.

God Ends Here is full-force, with roots in Hate Eternal, early Decapitated, and lashings of Rutan-era Morbid. ‘Despise The Cross’ is most definitely hunting for the lair of the mucus, ‘Just One Kill’ could easily be a left-over hacked out intestine off-cut from any Cannibal Corpse album since the turn of the millenium, and ‘Let The Torture Begin’ is mid-paced neanderthal headbanging chuggery of the extremely muscular variety. 

But, aware that even the most seasoned of Death Metal veterans need a little pause here and there, Aeon litter the album with short dramatic interludes; choral voices and epic soundtrack snippets to break up the piston-like precision of the powerful assault, though there is an over-use that contributes to the album feeling overlong. Yet, it is the occasions when they allow the two elements to mate that Aeon really excel; this is an album that really is at it’s best when all its elements are pulled together, such as the Behemoth-ian blackened epic hooks of the title track, or the coda of the first track proper, ‘Liar’s Den’ – a song that launches itself in a fury of Deicide riffage, before expanding into intense glory. 

All in, there is more than enough vicious verve and intense impact to sate, and God Ends Here delivers on potency and ferocity with several crushing anthems to smush our ears to pulp with. With a legacy of taut aggression, and a penchant for pummelling, this is not for the weak at heart. 

Buy the album here: http://www.metalblade.com/aeon

7 / 10 

STEVE TOVEY