Paganizer - The Portal

PAGANIZER - The Portal (SELFMADEGOD 7"EP 2016)

I do realize that many people feel sick seeing countless bands and releases that come from Rogga Johansson. And I understand them. I also think that it would be better to concentrate on less bands and less albums, but more on their quality – because honestly not everything that he recorded recently is that good. On the other hand who will forbid him doing what he loves? And besides, Rogga is still able to do some good shit, Paganizer especially released some very nice releases recently, like “Cadaver Casket” MLP for example, which had such killer songs like “Rot” and “Souls for Sale”. “The Portal” is one of the newest EPs, released on a 7” vinyl, with three new songs and well, I have to say that it surely is one of those releases that if you liked the previous Paganizer efforts, then you will like this one also. It doesn’t being anything exceptional, luckily it isn’t also as bad as for example split with Depression… It’s just damn good quality old school death metal in the Swedish vein.

But I am a bit surprised, as these new songs are relatively more melodic than I would expect. You know, “Cadaver Casket” EP, which I mentioned above, was really aggressive and ferocious. “The Portal” also has a nice aggressive side, just take the opening riff for “Forever Erased”, but it’s more varied and you’ll hear some nice harmonious parts frequently also. That diversity is something that really works great; songs are nasty and brutal, the tempo is mid paced and then it becomes very fast… and then it suddenly can slow down and bring a nice melodic lead (everything reminds me Centinex a lot). It’s nothing new, but in this case it’s just damn well played and I like how everything bursts with energy. Death metal needs to sound powerful and it definitely does in case of this EP! So, very good shit indeed!

This EP ends too quickly, I would like to hear more of Paganizer in such a good form. But that’s the charm of seven inches, they’re never long. But I can see that Paganizer also released two other EPs, both on CD, one is called “On the Outskirts of Hades” and another one is “As Sanity Dies”. Well, I wanna hear them also!

Final rate: 80/100