Death metal was born a global force. Its roots at least partly stem from Sweden. Many of the genre's earliest titans hail from the Scandinavian nation. While certainly there have been major influences across the globe, Sweden maintains a healthy amount of big names. Between Stockholm's fervent powers of Entombed and Dismember or Gothenburg's melo-death maestros like Dark Tranquility, the country possesses a rich history of death metal. Enter, Ensnared. The quartet that channels the Stockholm sound though they take residency in Gothenburg.
The band is releasing their debut, full-length album in May. While, for all intents and purposes, Dysangelium is the project's first proper album; for its members, it is far from theirs. H.K. and J.K. built Ensnared out of a former name, Gravehammer. The band also features members of prominent, Swedish band Trial. Yet, all of this information about Ensnared's experience becomes redundant after one play of "Gale of Maskim." The six-minute ripper of a track features a thick, buzzsaw riff and a Petrovian vocal style that all feels very Left Hand Path. This is not to write the group off as Entombed worship, though. Within their music is subtle, thrash metal nuances. They seep through and give a gleaming quality to Swedish death metal.
Listen to "Gale of Maskin" below. The May 12 release of Ensnared's Dysangelium is a joint effort between Dark Descent Records (USA) and Invictus Productions (EUR). Ensnared is also on Facebook where you can keep up with the band. Another song from Dysangelium premiered a while ago. Listen to "Apostles of Dismay" here.
