Album Review – Leper Colony / Those of the Morbid (2025)

The unstoppable Marc Grewe and Rogga Johansson are back with their infuriated sophomore album, once again bringing forth a ruthless, violent fusion of German and Swedish Death Metal styles with classic American influences.

The ruthless, violent result of wedding German and Swedish Death Metal styles with classic American influences, Death/Thrash Metal entity Leper Colony is back with  Those of the Morbid, the follow-up to their 2023 self-titled album, blasting our faces once again with their harsh, no shenanigans blend of extreme music. Recorded by Rogga Johansson at The Rotpit, with vocals and moth harp recorded by Marc Wüstenhagen at Daily Hero Recording Studios, mixed and mastered by Håkan Stuvemark at Necrotic Audio Productions, and featuring a classic Death Metal artwork by Felipe Mora, the new album by the infernal duo formed of Marc Grewe (Morgoth, Insidious Disease, Asinhell) on vocals and Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Ribspreader, Revolting) on guitars and bass, supported by Håkan Stuvemark (Wombbath) on lead guitars, and Jon Rudin (Monstrous, Dead Sun) on drums is perfect for fans of Obituary, Death, Pestilence and Insidious Disease, delivering a pure, unfiltered fusion of Death and Thrash Metal with no fillers, just killers.

Håkan  and Rogga waste no time and kick off their shredding attack in Facing the Faceless, with Marc quickly joining his bandmates with his demented screams, followed by Masters Voice, a pulverizing fusion of Death and Thrash Metal led by the crushing beats by Jon, being perfect for some demented action inside the pit. Their hammering sounds continue to pound our cranial skulls in The Age of Insanity, with the band’s guitar duo extracting sheer aggression from their axes, and it’s time for a brutal, demented metal attack by Leper Colony titled Flesh to Rot to Ashes, with Jon demolishing his drums manically. and it looks like their thrashing Death Metal party has no time to end, as Realm of Madness once again presents the trademark scorching riffs by Rogga burning our skin mercilessly.

Then the metallic riffs and bass lines by Rogga set the tone in the also infuriated Those of the Morbid Inclination, offering more of the band’s blend of Death and Thrash Metal while Marc vociferates like a devilish creature; whereas it’s pedal to the metal in the frantic Apocalypse Whore, with Håkan kicking off the song with a wicked guitar solo before everything converges into a hurricane of thrashing and deadly sounds. Then featuring guest Oliver Recker armed with his mouth harp, Leper Colony crafts an overdose of heaviness in the gruesome, evil Creature from the Deep, an excellent depiction of their core sound. Lastly, after endless devastation the band offers the horror movie-inspired track A Story in Red, sounding dark and heavy albeit lacking the same punch as the rest of the album.

Rogga Johansson is undoubtedly one of the most hardworking musicians to ever arise from the Swedish metal scene, making it impossible to keep track of all of his bands and projects, but if there’s one band that deserves a listen from all of his endeavors, that’s Leper Colony. His partnership with Marc Grewe is amazing, and that synergy translates into an overdose of aggression and rage in the music by Leper Colony. Those unstoppable metallers are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram, they’re ready to kick your ass with their putrid sounds on Spotify, and you can obviously purchase Those of the Morbid from the band’s own BandCamp, from the Testimony Records’ webstore, or by clicking HERE, showing your support and admiration to the underground as a whole. Because it doesn’t matter if it’s with Leper Colony, Paganizer, Ribspreader or any other of his projects, Rogga Johansson is going to get you, no matter how far, nor how morbid.

Best moments of the album: Flesh to Rot to Ashes, Those of the Morbid Inclination and Apocalypse Whore.

Worst moments of the album: A Story in Red.

Released in 2025 Testimony Records

Track listing
1. Facing the Faceless 3:21
2. Masters Voice 3:40
3. The Age of Insanity 3:35
4. Flesh to Rot to Ashes 3:10
5. Realm of Madness 3:23
6. Those of the Morbid Inclination 3:49
7. Apocalypse Whore 3:31
8. Creature from the Deep 3:40
9. A Story in Red 4:14

Band members
Marc Grewe – vocals
Håkan Stuvemark – lead guitars
Rogga Johansson – guitars, bass
Jon Rudin – drums

Guest musician
Oliver Recker – mouth harp on “Creature from the Deep”

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