Originally formed in 1992, Swedish band Evocation didn’t actually last too long the first time around, splitting up just a year or so after their inception with only a couple of demo tapes to their name. However, in 2005, four of the five members responsible for the band’s second demo reunited and eventually released their official début Tales From the Tomb (Cyclone Empire) in 2007.

All was well until 2012 when brothers Janne Kenttäkumpu Bodén (drums), and guitarist Vesa Kenttäkumpu departed shortly after the release of fourth album Illusions of Grandeur (Century Media), leaving the band in a state of upheaval. Five years on, long-term members Thomas Josefsson (vocals) and Marko Palmén (guitar), with the aid of guitarist Simon Exner, bassist Gustaf Jorde, and drummer Per Moller Jensen (formerly of The Haunted) are finally ready to unleash their latest offering of Death Metal goodness, The Shadow Archetype (Metal Blade).

Beginning with a standard melodic intro, ‘Into Ruins’, the album kicks off properly with ‘Condemned To The Grave’, a suitably brutal opener which features a punchy groove and a couple of nice stops. ‘Modus Operandi’ follows, and although it might not be the strongest song on the album, it still packs a fierce punch. The chunky ‘Children of Stone’, and the album’s first real highlight, ‘The Coroner’, stomp menacingly into view straight after.

The simply monstrous title track ‘The Shadow Archetype’ (its name taken from the work of Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung) deals with the subject of control and features a sample from American social psychologist Stanley Milgram relating to his controversial study on obedience during the early 1960’s. Continuing with that same theme, ‘Blind Obedience’ is an acoustic interlude wrapped around a quote taken from the 2005 film, The Exorcism of Emily Rose.

‘Survival Of The Sickest’, ‘Sulphur and Blood’, and ‘Imperium Fall’ are all strong tracks with their own special moments, but they really only exist to lead up to the album’s apocalyptic closer ‘Dark Day Sunrise’ with its crushing groove-laden riffs and brutal, almost ritualistic drumming.

Still happily taking their cues from old school Death Metal acts like Bolt Thrower and fellow countrymen Entombed, this new incarnation of Evocation sound a touch more modern and experimental this time. We get the occasional icy blast of Black Metal, neck-breaking grooves, some fast and furious thrashing to offset some of the album’s more downbeat and melancholic melodies, and guitarist Marko Palmén gets to use his non-Swedish heritage as a way to give the album a little touch of Finland.

7.5/10

GARY ALCOCK