(DGR embarks upon a review of the new album by Sweden’s Centinex.)

One of the interesting things about the recent wave of death metal revivalism that has been slowly worming its way through the metal scene over the last few years has been the resurgence of bands who had disbanded years ago. Centinex are one such group, having been on hold for the better part of eight years before returning with 2014’s Redeeming Filth — an about as red-meat-as-they-come, Swedish death metal disc.

It was a throwback in a sense, as Centinex have made no qualms about the fact that they aren’t exactly aiming to be innovators, just playing something that they know the in’s and out’s of and had been doing for a long time, and playing it well enough to dish out good music in that genre.

Centinex are one of those groups who are proudly a genre-fare band, which is actually something of a rarity these days. They’re happy to make meatheaded and Cro-Magnon-level death metal, comprised of huge chugging grooves and thick-sounding drums that sound like piston hammers. In an odd way, they are a throwback to a sound that has never really gone away, but has mutated into a variety of different and faster forms. Centinex choose to be the slow-moving grinder of the mix, albeit with better production.

July 8th, 2016, saw the group release the follow-up disc to Redeeming Filth — one that the band have said they weren’t going to wait around to record – entitled Doomsday Rituals. It’s as good a sign as any that Centinex are making zero attempts to slow themselves down and, if you’ll forgive the pun, have finally fallen into their groove. Interestingly enough, though, despite the hallmark mid-tempo grinders Centinex built Redeeming Filth out of in their proud honoring of the traditions of yore, Doomsday Rituals actually steps on the accelerator a bit — and that is where things get fun. Continue reading »