In the context of contemporary Metal (and music in general for that matter) it has become increasingly rare to hear something that stands out as truly unique and distinctive. Too often the blame for this is placed upon the bands that flood the scene with their derivative drivel that in no way serves to advance the forward movement of the music as a whole. In many cases that blame is well-deserved. It is not at all clear to me, however, that in order for a band to be respectable and enjoyable, they must play "unique" music. Some excellent Metal has been produced by bands that adhere to a blueprint and execute it to perfection. Furthermore, bands that strive to "create something new" often fail miserably and seem pretentious. Innovation is most effective when it evolves naturally rather than being forced, and for bands that have no real desire to be innovative, the most honorable route is often to select a path and follow it closely to produce the most authentic sound. Regurgitation of older styles and a lack of identity may be part of the sickness of modern times, but that does not mean that this phenomenon does not also occasionally produce desirable results, particularly when the style chosen is one which has not been overly repeated to the point of monotony. Such is the case for Finland’s SWALLOWED. There aren’t exactly any novel concepts emanating from this demo, but that is clearly not the band’s intention. Their intention is to resurrect the putrid corpse of vile and dirty 1990s style Death Metal. The band does nothing to conceal the fact that they are essentially channeling the sound of the legendary AUTOPSY through their work (this demo even contains a faithful cover of ‘In The Grip Of Winter’). It is true that one could possibly complain that there is no point to rehashing this sound, but that is a poor reason to deny the effectiveness of this demo (unless, of course, you don’t like AUTOPSY, in which case you clearly should not be listening to Metal at all). SWALLOWED are neither the first nor the last to play this style of Metal but they (along with maybe ANATOMIA) are among the best at its execution. Each track is succinct and aggressive and the transitions between parts are seamless and well-played. Importantly, SWALLOWED have attained a thoroughly authentic production sound. All of the instruments are mixed audibly and clearly yet the recording retains their visceral character. The production suffers neither from an overly modern sound nor from one that is bereft of clarity. Perhaps the only complaint I might make about this demo is the lack of guitar leads. Because all of the other components work together so well, however, the absence of solos almost goes unnoticed (there are only two solos on the demo, I believe). Still, this is a minor complaint as this demo has already given me great satisfaction through multiple listens which is a rare phenomenon for demos these days. This demo also exemplifies the rule that devotion to a stylistic template can be almost as fulfilling as hearing the development of a new sound altogether. Anyone who appreciates this style of Death Metal should not hesitate to try to acquire this demo. You may or may not still be able to obtain it through the highly regarded new label that released it, Detest Records. www.detestrecords.com