UNLEASHED

The Hunt For White Christ

NAPALM Swedeath legends haven’t run out of steam yet Given his unceremonious ousting from Nihilist, one wonders if Johnny Hedlund ever allows himself a quick chuckle comparing modernday Entombed’s personnel troubles to Unleashed’s consistent line-up, who’ve only replaced one guitarist in 29 years. The Hunt For

White Christ, Unleashed’s 13th full-length, is business as usual: namely, melodic, mid-paced Scandinavian death metal with a distinctly anthemic quality, especially on robust ragers like Lead Us Into War and Stand Your Ground, which seems custom-built to be screamed back at the band by festival audiences. The triumphant, shredding guitar leads sound better than ever, especially on the title track and steamrollering highlight Terror Christ, while Vidaurgelmthul and By The Western Wall slow the pace down to pulverising effect. This isn’t Unleashed’s most remarkable album, but it’s an impressively solid showing this late in their career nonetheless.