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Unleashed is another one of those bands I've been reading about for years but never had a chance (or time) to check out, so this is my first exposure to them. What struck me the most are the vocals, an intelligible low growl that's sometimes quite melodic – it's like the guy would rather be singing than growling, and tip-toes on the fence between the two. The vocalist is really driving the album here as far as I'm concerned, and the result is pretty cool, though there are songs where the vocals melodies are rather boring.

I was also expecting a much more brutal band, but this is really Melodic Death Metal – NOT the Gothenburg stuff like In Flames et al. but rather basic old school Swedish Death Metal with a lot of melody thrown in. This music is much more worthy of the "melodeath" moniker that what is usually labeled that, really. Some die hard death metallers could be turned off by this, but those who don't mind or who simply want to start exploring the genre lightly could find something to like here. The melodic parts blend in very well with the sometimes pounding drums and galloping riffs and occasional razor-sharp, speedy axe attacks. There's no ultra-speedy stuff here, so if you're expecting a blast beats fest type of thing, look elsewhere.

While As Yggdrasil Trembles is a good listen overall, if does have a bit of a same-y feel through and through and I found it feels much longer than it really is. But the songs are good enough that I can live with it – it may be a little boring at times, but that hasn't stopped me from having it on my regular playlist for a while.