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Disdain proves to the Metal world that the reins of True Metal have shifted from the U.S. and Britain to Sweden. Over the years, as the U.S. became modernized with Hardcore and Britain, which hasn't shown much since the glories of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, stagnated, Sweden took over and became one of Metal's premier six-pounders. After the great success of the Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal outbreak of the early 90s, 80s influenced Heavy Metal made its comeback in Sweden with bands like Dream Evil, Hammerfall, Evergrey and newcomers Enforcer. After venturing to the extreme, the Swedish scene is now more balanced with Heavy Metal for everyone.

What is so special about Disdain and their new album Leave this World? Maybe it is because they combined Heavy Metal with Melodic Death and came up with a bunch of winners. Maybe it's the talented vocalist, once the band's drummer, who is a mix of Joachim Cans and Bruce Dickinson. Or maybe it's just that they deliver great Heavy Metal with a modern sound. You know what? It is all of the above.

Leave this World, the band's first release for Scarlet Records, is a tough yet deep and emotional album. In contrast with the might of the music, elements like melodic, touching vocals and synthesizers, soften the beatings. The huge production affords the album great depth, highlighting opposing forces. Catchiness is no stranger to the band. They've started with "easy to reach" riffs and kept the material as simple and flowing as they could, yet employed complexity in the leads, where it was needed.

Coming from a town that reshaped and inserted melody into Death Metal, it feels as though Disdain is repaying a debt on Leave this World. On a couple of occasions vocalist Christian Borjesson barks out a few impressive growls with fit well with the powerful riffs. Without a doubt, Disdain paid their respects to those that have gone before and built a marvelous foundation for a long career.