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The Forsaken put out a trio of generally well-regarded Death Metal albums back in the early 2000's, with 2003's Traces of the Past the last thing anybody heard from them. Nine years later we get this, their fourth full-length album, and it fucking kills.

These days, it is surprising to hear Melodic Death Metal that has not descended into keyboard-infested alt-rock bullshit, and it is cool to hear a band that remembers how to do it right. The Forsaken play heavy-as-fuck Death Metal of the definite Swedish stripe, with pummeling drums and intense vocals - anybody familiar with Dismember or Paganizer will be on well-known ground here, but then they add in a slash of brilliant Arch-Enemy styled melodic riffage and clear, sharp leads that really punch this up another notch. The intensity and quality of the work here is just spot on, and the album is really consistent, with no dropoff on the second half.

I was skeptical of a reunion after so long of a band playing a style that is sometimes seen as dated nowadays, but this is a killer album and should not be skipped by anybody. Recommended.