Review by Vladimir on August 13, 2024.

Earlier this year, I came across the German death metal band Denomination. Then I checked out their debut album They Burn As One which came out in 2022, as well as their split Tales From The Crypt with Swedish band Abscession from 2023, but after a while, I had completely moved on due to a lack of further interest. However, things would change once I saw that their second full-length album The Last Companion is scheduled to be released on September 13th, 2024 via the recently signed label F.D.A. Records. Out of curiosity, I decided to give this band another chance despite my previous experience which was sort of a "hit or miss" thing, so feel free to stick around if you want to dive deep into this monstrosity.

As The Last Companion sets sail through the river Styx, we witness some wicked death metal massacre unfolding before our eyes, rocking out in pure Swedish death metal buzzsaw fashion which has been a crucial part of Denomination's sound. Once again you will hear some old-school Boss HM-2 guitar pedal-driven guitar riffs that rot 'n roll with putridity and disgust, amped up by the guttural growling vocals and maniacal drumming, very much reminiscent of some exemplary works by bands such as Carnage, Entombed/Nihilist, Dismember and Grave, providing plenty of intense headbanging mania that leaves no room for bullshit or pretentiousness. Although it is pretty clear in Denomination's output where the inspiration comes from, you can still hear plenty of fresh and solid songwriting material that still has plenty of creativity, as opposed to copying the works of their influences beat for beat as one would expect. This time they have taken on a much more menacing and darker approach in comparison to their previous album They Burn As One from 2022, which was still good but a bit lacking in terms of its delivery, however, they managed to compensate for it on this album by displaying this testosterone-based performance with a malicious atmosphere that flows throughout every song. The Last Companion has some great examples of badass death metal delivery with a lot of flesh-grinding violence, but some of the strongest competitors is 'Cremation Ground' that really sets the fire to a funeral ceremony with its riffs hitting harder than a jackhammer to the face.

The songwriting is pretty standard and straightforward death metal approach when it comes to the overall song structures, showcasing frequent tempo changes and easy patterns to follow along. Despite the stylistic consistency and strong sense of familiarity that play a big role in Denomination's music, the good thing is that you will always be engaged in this journey from start to finish, especially when you sink deep into this album's grotesque nature. What stands out about this album is that it always stays on track with its death-ripping action, without ever slowing down or becoming too sterile halfway through, because it keeps your attention high at all times and curious to hear what will come next, and then successfully delivering what you were looking for. Sure, it may seem like another typical or generic Swedish death metal tribute/gimmick/clone type of output to anyone who is generally familiar with this style, but it certainly doesn't mean that it's trying desperately to replicate that magic, because on its own it still manages to capture its essence thanks to the savage riffwork on here that you just can't enough of. When I first checked out Denomination's first album They Burn As One, I really felt like something was missing in that whole ingredient which could have made it more enjoyable or attention-worthy, but I think that The Last Companion completely erases that because its non-stop excitement all throughout its entirety.

In the end, I personally really enjoyed The Last Companion for its highly solid and effective output that makes you go crazy from start to finish, especially if you are a big fan of 90's Swedish death metal bands. Like I said before, Denomination obviously wants to keep things simple yet effective when it comes to their overall death metal delivery, and this time they really managed to hit the right note by keeping things heavy and mean. Be sure to check out this bad boy when it's released and see what horrific delights it has to offer.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Allan on November 13, 2002.

When I first heard about Opeth releasing a double album, I was excited for what might come. It wasn’t because I’d have twice the amount of material to listen to (hey, I’m not complaining), but more because I’m hoping that after Åkerfeldt and Co. are done with the second half of this project, “Damnation”, they might be able to come out ahead farther than before. I’m hoping that “Damnation” gives them a new sense of song writing and musicianship, because honestly, watching Opeth’s progression from album to album is a little tedious. I’m certainly not denying that Opeth don’t improve, or at least change a little bit with each album they put out, but so much of it has stayed the same that the new album “Deliverance” barely even surprised me.

What makes “Deliverance” stand slightly apart from all the past efforts of Opeth is the heaviness. “Deliverance” is the heaviest of all the albums that Opeth has ever released, largely due to the fact that the lighter sections are less abundant. However, the fact that “Deliverance” has a much stronger rhythm section also increases the heaviness, as well as some of the riffs themselves.

There is more to “Deliverance” than it being the heaviest of all the Opeth albums. On “Deliverance” Åkerfeldt takes both his guitar and vocal ability up. As for the guitar, Åkerfeldt has thrown many more solos into the songs and they’re duration has increased. Unfortunately, Åkerfeldt also opted for a less acoustic approach on “Deliverance”, maybe because he felt it would hinder the albums ability to be heavy, or maybe because he wanted them to be exclusive to “Damnation”. Either way, it’s disappointing. Vocally, Åkerfeldt has improved in both of his styles – clean and death. While the clean vocals aren’t around as much before, when they do arise they generally tend to blow me away with the emotion that Åkerfeldt puts into them. And as always, Åkerfeldt’s death metal vocals are far beyond what others offer. Sinister and as powerful as ever, Åkerfeldt offers the class and polished sound that nobody else can offer.

Not everything about “Deliverance” is as good as one would hope. One of my biggest problems with “Deliverance” is the theme of the album, or lack thereof. Between the first two songs (‘Wreath’ and ‘Deliverance’) and the last two (‘Master’s Apprentices’ and ‘By The Pain I see In Others’) are two songs. The first, ‘A Fair Judgement’, is one of the best songs on all of “Deliverance”. The problem is that the song doesn’t completely fit in with the other songs, and along with it the somewhat lackluster instrumental ‘For Absent Friends’. Neither of the songs are all and all out of place, but both of them seem like the black sheep of the family.

“Deliverance” truly lacks the cohesion that Opeth reached with “Blackwater Park”, not only with the feel of song by song, but also by the turmoil created within each song itself. Usually the songs and transitions move along excellently, but when you get to a song like ‘By The Pain I See In Others’ where by the end of the song you’re switching gears every other second, you begin to get the feeling that Åkerfeldt just had to many riffs to work with. With that becoming a problem in many parts in each of the various songs, the songs begin to unravel and lose the emotion and feeling they started with. Even then that is another problem that clouds “Deliverance”. Overall I feel that “Deliverance” lacks a lot of the emotion that Opeth has been able to create in the past, maybe due to the atmosphere of the album not being as strong as it should be, or just the way the album was written.

Bottom Line: “Deliverance” is a really good album, however it’s exactly what you would expect from Opeth, and that’s where it hurts them. I was looking for more in “Deliverance” and when I didn’t find anything I didn’t expect, I was disappointed. I guess for now Opeth will remain a band that just stick to what they’re good at, and that is still respectable.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 7
Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 7
Production: 8
Overall: 7

Rating: 7.6 out of 10