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Album Review – Paganizer / As Mankind Rots (2026)

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The Scandinavian war machine rolls on, as these Swedish Death Metal beasts still sound adrenalized, bloodstained and glorious in their demolishing album number fourteen.

The Scandinavian war machine rolls on. After twenty seven years, thirteen full-length studio albums and an ever growing brood of EP’s, split releases, live albums and compilations, Swedish Death Metal beasts Paganizer still sound adrenalized, bloodstained and glorious in their album number fourteen, beautifully titled As Mankind Rots. Mixed and mastered by long term collaborator Ronnie Björnström, with the package completed by the haunting artwork of Ivan Bragin (The Gathering, October Tide, Woods Of Ypres), the new opus by the unstoppable Rogga Johansson on vocals and guitars, Dennis Blomberg on lead guitars, Martin Klasén on bass, and Matthias Fiebig on drums is an unmissable Death Metal treat for fans of Entombed, Ribspreader, Grave, and Vomitory.

Rogga and Dennis present their violent business card right from the beginning in As Mankind Rots, offering an overdose of Death and Thrash Metal riffs with a Punk Rock attitude, therefore inviting us all to slam into the pit like true bastards. Then it’s Matthias  who shows no mercy for our putrid bodies in Devoured, hammering his drums and, consequently, our cranial skulls in the name of extreme music; followed by Aftermath Bleeder, leaning towards the more cadenced but absurdly heavy Death Metal blasted by giants like Unleashed, sounding as visceral as it can be. It’s pedal to the metal in the infuriated Only Maggots, offering our avid ears an avalanche of Death Metal riffs and blast beats perfect for some wild headbanging; and I simply love how they add hints of Crust to their core sound like in Put on Your Gasmask, making it even more demented, with Rogga’s roars sounding deep and evil. And there’s just no sign of slowing down or selling off in Hollow, as it’s pure, unfiltered Death Metal where Martin and Matthias’ kitchen sounds like an earthquake of heavy music.

The band then brings forward a mid-tempo, haunting tune titled A Testament to Madness, with Rogga again vomiting the song’s vile words mercilessly; whereas like a rabid creature from the abyss, the quartet comes ripping with Afterworld, where the guitars by Rogga and Dennis exhale hatred and obscurity. The Rotting End is another song where a melodic start morphs into absolute chaos and madness spearheaded by the ruthless beats and fills by Matthias, followed by One Way to the Grave, perhaps the most destructive of all songs (from an already destructive album), with Matthias crushing his drums mercilessly while Rogga barks and roars like a demented beast of Death Metal. Lastly, we’re treated to a new recording of Vanans Makt (a Swedish phrase that translates to “the power of habit”), which appeared on the Compiled Ammunition compilation back in 2020, with guest vocals from Bulten of Swedish Punk Rock band Lastkaj 14, and this new rendition is the perfect example of Death Metal meets Punk Rock.

There’s no intro, no samples, nor anything like that in As Mankind Rots. The album is simply headfirst into riffs and mayhem, offering us all avid metalheads pure Swedish Death Metal magnificence, and you can add such an incendiary album to your private collection by purchasing it from the Xtreem Music’s BandCamp or webstore. You can also start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, and of course stream their ruthless discography on any platform like Spotify. As mankind rots, Paganizer keep blasting our ears with their undisputed blend of old school Death Metal, with their new album perfectly depicting the current state of our rotten and decaying society.

Best moments of the album: As Mankind Rots, Only Maggots and One Way to the Grave.

Worst moments of the album: A Testament to Madness.

Released in 2026 Xtreem Music

Track listing
1. As Mankind Rots 3:15
2. Devoured 3:51
3. Aftermath Bleeder 3:14
4. Only Maggots 3:48
5. Put on Your Gasmask 2:46
6. Hollow 3:23
7. A Testament to Madness 4:32
8. Afterworld 3:53
9. The Rotting End 3:16
10. One Way to the Grave 3:39
11. Vanans Makt 3:38

Band members
Rogga Johansson – vocals, guitars
Dennis Blomberg – lead guitars
Martin Klasén – bass
Matthias Fiebig – drums

Guest musician
Bulten – vocals on Vanans Makt

Album Review – Putrevore / Unending Rotting Cycle (2025)

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This unrelenting Spanish and Swedish two-headed beast returns from the grave with an album of impossible horrors, the most relentless, ravenous and remorseless example of their Death Metal war machine.

Blasting dark, putrid old school Death Metal for fans of Incantation, Immolation, Avulsed, and Grisly, among others, since their inception back in 2004 under the moniker Deadbreath, the unrelenting Spanish-Swedish Death Metal creature Putrevore returns from the grave with their fifth full-length offering, entitled Unending Rotting Cycle, the follow-up to their 2021 album Miasmal Monstrosity. Mixed and mastered by Avulsed’s guitarist Alejandro Lobo at Acordica Studios, and displaying a cadaverous artwork by Lucretia Morti, the newborn spawn by the iconic duo formed of Dave Rotten (Avulsed, Christ Denied, Decrapted, Holycide, Rotten, Weaponry, Yskelgroth) on vocals, and Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Ribspreader, Furnace, Leper Colony, Revolting) on the guitars and bass, and featuring the cataclysmic drumming of regular Rogga Johansson co-conspirator Thomas Ohlsson (Blackscape, War Magic), continues to pay tribute to the hardest, heaviest and most brutal of the Death Metal pioneers of the late 80’s and early 90’s. In other words, Unending Rotting Cycle is an album of impossible horrors, the most relentless, ravenous and remorseless example of the duo’s Death Metal war machine.

They waste absolutely no time and kick off their onrush of sheer brutality with No Mourning the Grace, a ruthless Death Metal attack led by Dave’s demented deep guttural, whereas Thomas kicks off the just as demonic Morbid Procession, supported by Rogga’s relentless riffs and bass lines. In other words, it can’t get any more Death Metal than this. Rogga’s visceral axe keeps spreading violence and hatred in Subterranean Paths to the Temples, a mid-tempo, headbanging feast of pure death tailored for fans of the most primeval form of the genre; and get ready to be pulverized like a putrid insect to the sound of Beneath These Graves, where Thomas once again shows no mercy for any living creature behind his drums.

The trio continues to infest the air with their putrid Death Metal stench in Mortal Ways of the Flesh, another display of sheer savagery where Dave sounds like a creature form the underworld on vocals. Then we face the demonic title-track Unending Rotting Cycle, blasting our ears with their blend of undisputed Death Metal aggression led by Rogga’s metallic riffage, and there’s no sign of the band slowing down at all, as we’re treated to more of their inhumane sounds in They Worship Disarray, excellent for some wild headbanging. Rogga’s bass will hammer your cranial skulls in Cult of the Tentacle, offering the perfect opportunity for having lots of fun inside the circle pit, whereas lastly the trio will darken the skies one final time with The Cradle Replaced by the Grave, a crushing Death Metal beast for admirers of the music by old school legends of the style.

Bleak, black and bestial, Putrevore remain the undead embodiment of an old phrase from the age that inspired them – some music was meant to stay underground, and that’s exactly the feeling when you listen to the ruthless, savage Unending Rotting Cycle. Hence, if the underground is your business, and business is good, you can get in touch with the indomitable Dave Rotten and Rogga Johansson via Facebook, stream their demented music on any online platform such as Spotify, and of course grab a copy of their new album from Xtreem Music’s BandCamp or webstore. Because their rotting cycle of undisputed Death Metal will never end as they keep delivering excellent albums like Unending Rotting Cycle, just the way we like it in raw, visceral and demented Death Metal.

Best moments of the album: Morbid Procession, Unending Rotting Cycle and Cult of the Tentacle.

Worst moments of the album: They Worship Disarray.

Released in 2025 Xtreem Music

Track listing
1. No Mourning the Grace 3:59
2. Morbid Procession 3:06
3. Subterranean Paths to the Temples 3:33
4. Beneath These Graves 3:05
5. Mortal Ways of the Flesh 3:38
6. Unending Rotting Cycle 3:30
7. They Worship Disarray 3:30
8. Cult of the Tentacle 3:29
9. The Cradle Replaced by the Grave 3:33

Band members
Dave Rotten – vocals
Rogga Johansson – guitars, bass

Guest musician
Thomas Ohlsson – drums (session)