Originally written by Erik Thomas
One of the more less ballyhooed reunions or comebacks of late, Sweden’sSéance return a full 16 years after their seminal Saltrubbed Eyes, though members did stay busy with Witchery during the absence and it shows on this enjoyable but hardly required listen.
One of the second waves of Swedish death metal bands, both Saltrubbed Eyes and their debut, Fornever Laid to Rest (both are highly recommended for those new to classic death metal), while lumped in with the likes ofDismember, Unleashed, Entombed and such, displayed a busier, gnarlier, more solo based approach and a different studio (Berno vs. Sunlight) that was less immediate than their peers, despite the tangible Stockholm backbone.
With almost the full line up returning for this album, Awakening of the Godskicks off where Saltrubbed Eyes left off with the stuttering opening riff of “Wasted,” which sounds like it could have come from the band’s lost 1991-1993 recording sessions as does “Your Time Has Come,” “Invocation,” “Forever Haunted” and “Burn Me” – undeniably Séance tracks to anyone familiar with the band. However littered among the strong tracks are obvious leftovers from the member’s Witchery sessions; thrashier, blacker and more simplistic numbers (“Invocation,” “Murder,” “Choose Your Eternity,” “Prisoner 666”) while certainly furious and up tempo, they lack the menacing complexity of the aforementioned tracks despite Johan Larson’s gravelly rasp, and the production seems cleaner and leaner, adding to the thrashier feel of the album. Also, the bass solo “Flight of the Wicked” and brief instrumental “Revel in Death” are simply a waste of time.
When all is said and done, Awakening of the Gods is a solid and successful return for another classic band. I’ll personally always return to Saltrubbed Eyes and tracks like “13th Moon” and “Angelmeat” for my Séance fix though.
