Pioneers of destruction like Sex Pistols, GG, Dead Boys, and Iggy, upon revisiting, words like “primal” and “raw” are replaced with “ugh” and “shitty sounding.”
Every cliché of power metal and classic-style heavy metal down pat, yet with meticulous songcraft and phenomenal musicianship, they soar above all others.
Andrew McMahon is off to a good start, with moments like a Jellyfish cover band just starting out on their own. Like a future Ben Folds as he finds his legs.
Starting as a young Swedish version of SoCal punkpop (fast and melodic, with some ska thrown in), they really learned the craft of writing catchy melodies.
They mix modern technology with black metal, to an unusual effect. Their obsession with evil and all things Hell is well-founded, if a bit laughable at times.