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The Generals - Stand Up Straight

Label: Metal Central
Format: CD download
Released: 2010
Reviewed By: Mark Gromen
Rating: 8.5 /10


Old School! History 101: After the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and Thrash, there came Death Metal, centered between the divergent capitals of Tampa, FL and Stockholm, Sweden. Music is cyclic and since we’ve recently had Traditional Metal and Thrash revivals, seems time for the next ‘Next Wave’.

 

The Generals are proudly Swedish Death, "the Sunlight sound" ala early 90s Entombed and Dismember. A grinding buzzsaw guitar groove being the key element to the noises which emanated from Sunlight Studios. There’s a fine line between this, the later ‘death & roll’ popularized by Carcass, ‘Tombed alumni Nicke Andersson’s Hellacopters, punked up Motorhead, even Lordi. Think I’m crazy? Listen to ‘Punchline’ and tell me those catchy, gruff delivered harmonies doesn’t sound like something off the last couple of platters by the latex masked Finns!

Most of the songs are in the two and a half minute range, ‘Consulting With The Sinner’ being the granddaddy at an even four minutes! Chugging guitars and locomotive driven, clickety-clack drumming. Can you have revved up stoner music? ‘Portal To Paradise’ says yes. Grinding, growling and gargantuan riffs: ‘Split Vision, Snap Decision’, ‘The Offer Still Stands’ and ‘Do It Like The Devil’. Damn catchy, can’t stop listening, nor can I get these rhythms out of my head! Haven't been this excited about a "discovery" since countrymen Wolf.

 
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