ALBUM REVIEW: Death in Pieces – Centinex

Band reunions are a double-edged sword. When a group withdraws from the scene and come back after a long abstinence, a detrimental group of conjures come with them. An example: CENTINEX, one of the death metal bands that emerged in Sweden in the early 1990s that went on releasing ten studio albums since 1991. The group went on an indefinite hiatus after the release of World Declension in 2005, but they reunited in 2013 and launched an EP entitled Teutonische Invasion. Since then CENTINEX launched two full-length releases: Redeeming Filth in 2014 and Doomsday Rituals in 2016, the latter putting the band back on death metal map.

May 29th brings the release of CENTINEX’ eleventh full-length outing Death in Pieces, coming out on Agonia Records. In short, the new 10-tracker continues where Doomsday Rituals left, but delving deep into atmospheric spectre on the sonic curve. Yet, simultaneously, CENTINEX keep their cogs mostly rammed in the mood of 2000’s excellent Hellbrigade. After an air raid siren intro in Only Death Remains, CENTINEX lose no time and launch a missile attack that only keeps on intensifying as the 33-minute release goes on. Florian Rehn’s D-beat drumming is flawless with the extra value of some mouth-watering fills throughout Death in Pieces. Henrik Andersson’s growls and screams sound as caustic and powerful as ever.

From there on, CENTINEX spend the next half an hour alternating between straightforward bangers and creeping, impulsive pieces. The record’s track order is well established, with the slower songs spread across the album in-between the songs that are more evocative of what is regarded as the traditional Swedish death metal sound.

Songs like God Ends Here, Human Torch, and Cauterized refrain nothing, instantly unleashing a ferocious battery made of drums and dynamic guitar rhythms, courtesy of Jörgen Kristensen. The punch of Martin Schulman’s bass gives a bonus boost to the overall rhythm, releasing a threatening stain through the simple yet very meaty production work. The structure of the songs is rather plain, giving the album a lot of space to breathe. From start to its closing bits, there is a gigantic display of melody on Death in Pieces. This is something that surely allows for the overall atmosphere to be sensed throughout the album’s ten songs.

Nowadays, most metal groups try to pack in as many contrasting elements as possible within an album. This works out sometimes. But there are times when it feels forced and inorganic. The fascinating thing about Death in Pieces is that even with the abundance of technical proficiency on display here, CENTINEX’ recipe for success is downright simple.

Rating: 8/10

Death in Pieces is out on May 29th via Agonia Records.

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