SOULDRAINER - Reborn

To start the band in 1998 and release the debut album in 2007 is not really an enviable performance, even more so as Souldrainer comes for Sweden, a very friendly place for any kind of album release. This becomes even harder to understand as Reborn reveals a band with a lot of potential, capable of writing good songs. What we have here is melodic death, with some gothic accents and a strong influence from Hypocrisy, more precisely by the slower and more atmospheric songs of the master Peter Tagtgren. Sentenced is again a source of inspiration for Souldrainer, not as much at musical level, but in the lyrics. The brutal grown (which would be right at home on any Hypocrisy album) of Johan Klitkou contrasts with the excessive melodicity of certain parts and gracious female choirs. The tempo is slow, with almost no faster parts; this way the Swedes manage to create a gloomy atmosphere, closer to a doom album. If they worked a bit on their identity and tried to dodge the obvious Hypocrisy comparisons, Souldrainer would have very good odds to leave the underground very soon.
(+) good balance between melody and aggression, catchy songs
(-)  too obvious influences, lacks originality

Dragos P. Nota: 8