BLOODBATH Survival of the Sickest | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

Released by Napalm Records on September 9th, 2022

Quick Background

Bloodbath is a Swedish death metal supergroup from Stockholm. They began life as a humble tribute. Formed by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström (both of Katatonia), Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth) and Dan Swanö (Edge Of Sanity) in 1998. Today the group consists of Martin Axenrot (ex-Opeth) on drums, Anders Nyström on guitars , Jonas Renkse on bass, Nick Holmes on vocals (Paradise Lost) and Tomas "Plytet" Åkvik – guitar .

Survival of the Sickest

It's their 6th studio album and already third with Nick Holmes on vocals and the follow-up to The Arrow of Satan Is Drawn (2018). This time we are delighted with 11 pure death metal tracks in just about 45 minutes. With this release they went in true old school fashion. Think Morbid Angel, Death, Deicide and Obituary. And the lyrics? Well pure gore and death metal, the titles say it all, and the artwork reflects that. 

The single "Zombie Inferno" opens the album with some suspense as it takes 30 seconds for the fade in to take shape and the sick and fast tempo guitar riff starts. A strong punch in the face of a start, if you ask me. “Putrefying Corpse” feat. Barney Greenway of Napalm Death follows and it's one of the best songs on the album, a gory video is also available for this one. The groovy "Carved" feat. Luc from Gorguts is another highlight. Luc is also on another groovy but brutal song titled "Born Infernal". The third guest is Marc from Morgoth on the sludgy "To Die". "Dead Parade" is another heavy song but also on the mid tempo / doomy region. But songs like "Malignant Maggot Therapy", "Tales of Melting Flesh" or "Affliction of Extinction" keep the fast tempo classic death metal side of the album very much alive. 

The Picky Guy

The only song to break the 4 min mark, "No God Before Me" closes the album in a mid tempo and sludgy fashion. While not a bad song at all, it departs too much from the album overall direction and alienates me a little bit. Another point, if you are not bothered by the fact that it's a pretty safe album offering nothing really new, I have nothing to complain about it.  

Wrap Up Opinion 

Bloodbath, Sweden’s undisputed masters of old school death metal, are back doing what they know best. This is a return to 90's death metal within the boundaries of the genre with a little flirting into death doom in the best Obituary veins. Old fans of the band or of the legends Morbid Angel or Death will have a great time with Survival of the Sickest. A very good death metal album deserving a 82/100 and a sore neck.

SCORE: 82/100

Genre: Death Metal

Released by Napalm Records on September 9th, 2022

Rating System

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

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