ALLEGIANCE - Hymn Till Hangagud CD

That this album has not been heralded as the Swedish answer to Enslaved is unfortunate, though maybe to be expected given that nothing new came out of Allegiance's arsenal after the close of the 1990s. Largely they are remembered as having two principle members that lent their chops to the rhythm section of Marduk during their classic era from the mid 1990s until the mid 2000s, which is doubly a drag given that they present a highly different take on the genre than said outfit. If nothing else, Hymn Till Hangagud offers a highly unique and competent collection of songs in a style more readily comparable to the likes of Hades/Hades Almighty and Helheim than what was typical for Sweden in the mid 1990s, even though it still holds a heavy affinity towards the impact-based character of their own locale. It's one of a number of highly impressive albums to emerge from the vile swamp of the Scandinavian death and black metal scenes to take a step back and remember what Bathory started with Blood Fire Death and takes it all to its logical conclusion. It's the sonic catharsis of the frosty landscapes of the 2nd wave being cooked by the blood of a recently felled victim of Swedish death metal, and an unsung masterwork to boot.