Swedish Death Metal has long been one of the most important branches of the death metal scene. Although it has become more melodic and somewhat different today compared to the old days, it hasn’t lost its popularity—on the contrary, it has increased. Many Scandinavian death metal bands reference their glorious Viking past, a history they are always proud of, in their lyrics. And among them, there is one band that was among the first to embrace this theme. Unlike many other death metal bands, they were among the first to focus on history and Scandinavian culture instead of violence and evil in their lyrics. They are one of the three children of Nihilist—the mother of Scandinavian Death Metal. Unlike their siblings Entombed and Dismember, Unleashed has always remained more rooted in its Scandinavian heritage and is undoubtedly old school at heart.
Tracklist
Where No Life Dwells
Dead Forever
Before the Creation of Time
For They Shall Be Slain
If They Had Eyes
The Dark One
Into Glory Ride
...and the Laughter Has Died
Unleashed
Violent Ecstasy
Where Life Ends
The masters’ debut album "Where No Life Dwells" was released in 1991 and received excellent feedback. Musically, the album is outstanding—pure death metal in its rawest form. Heavy, raw riffs; aggressive, guttural vocals; thunderous drumming. In my opinion, this is Unleashed’s best album.
The album opens with the title track “Where No Life Dwells,” a 47-second acoustic intro that is absolutely exquisite. Immediately after, the crushing drums and the powerful vocals of Johnny Hedlund hit hard with the track “Dead Forever.” These two songs back-to-back make a perfect pair, delivering immense pleasure to the listener. You can instantly recognize the quality of Hedlund’s vocals here—he’s one of my favorite death metal voices, second only to John Tardy. Throughout the album, he growls, snarls, and roars—pouring out his hatred with no mercy.
“Before the Creation of Time” forces the dark, murky atmosphere of death metal into your lungs with its exquisite riff. “For They Shall Be Slain” takes the gloom of the previous track and plunges it into complete darkness. With its classy drum attacks and Hedlund’s screams, it fully showcases Viking power.
“If They Had Eyes” stands out with its slower tempo, offbeat drumming, and furious vocals. Then comes “The Dark One,” which begins with a slow-paced intro that makes you feel the album is starting to drag in mood. Though a faster rhythm follows, the song overall remains slow. There’s little in the way of lyrics—mostly filled with growls like “örghhh” and “börghhh.” Despite its slow start, the song ends incredibly fast.
The first half of the album also represents the second half. Far removed from any sense of experimentation, this is a raw, thrash-tinged death metal sound. With its distinctive Viking theme—something quite unique at the time—and with Hedlund and Anders Schultz elevating it with their performances, this album truly stands out. The record, which begins with “Where No Life Dwells,” concludes with “Where Life Ends”—slowly, and with a terrifying presence that echoes across the world.