Sweden’s SARCASM return with their newest full length on Hammerheart Records titled “Stellar Stream Obscured”. When I first heard of the news of their new album, I immediately revisited their last full length, which I quite enjoyed. I sincerely hoped the band lost no momentum and it looks like SARCASM hasn’t lost touch with their roots, they’ve simply picked up from where they’ve left off. Kicking off the proceedings with ‘Through The Crystal Portal’, SARCASM deliver a no-nonsense Swedish Black / Death, adopting a typical Black Metal approach to riff writing, the band infuses Death based heaviness through their rhythm. The vocals sound like a standard offering from Sweden, nothing in particular to highlight, but they do compliment the music quite well. The formula is simple, adopt a writing approach that is synonymous with AT THE GATES, throwing in the spirit of Black Metal through riffs and background atmosphere. As we move to track # 3 ‘Ancient Visitors’, the band completely flips their approach and slows down to embrace the spirit of Doom. Frankly, this track sounds phenomenal and is a great diversion from their relentless attack. When you look at it objectively, SARCASM maintains the general standards, the production adds in a slice of the charm here. These elements alone add another half a point to this record. All in all, SARCASM adopts a good scenic melodic route for this album touching upon all the good aspects that you’d appreciate. Check it out! For more info please visit: www.facebook.com/sarcasmsweden, www.facebook.com/hammerheartrecords