I think it was his very own record Entrance to the Otherwhere that introduced this crew to Rogga Johansson and his ways. And since then, the man with the most prolific artistic loins known to the modern metal world has never left this zine. And how could he? Wherever we turn in Northern-leaning Death Metal, suddenly, his bearded mug appears from the props.
And boy, the man boasts a roster of active bands that always makes my head spin. How on earth he keeps track of all those different ideas living in his head at the same time is a mystery to this crew. Perhaps we should all sign up for the next management course of Johansson Consultants to learn how to manage overblown complexity without having the Xanax dealer on speed dial.
The last Paganizer record did not really fill us with a lot of praise. Sure, the RMR crew had a lot to say about the ideation, theme, approach, and arrangement. But as to the delivery, there wasn’t much new to report. The axe work and structure were as fiery as they were predictable. A style we already heard before somewhere.
So, here, the band lands us a new ‘un called As Mankind Rots. Yet another weighty train of thoughts, and right on the money, looking at current world events. A sturdy theme to wrap your album around is what any songwriter worth his or her salt should do at any time. But the question here isn’t about growled arguments that nobody understands anyway. It is all around the music and delivery that will make or break the quality of such a record.
And that leads us to the predictability. As Mankind Rots boasts the riff patterns, vocals, structure, and ultimate delivery, all cut from the same cloth former pieces were already made of. Similarities abound, even if this genre does not really lead to a ton of variation. To add insult to injury, Johansson’s style is actually recognizable, even if he tries to slide through the mists in incognito mode. Case in point, the moment the RMR crew fired up the Thorium’s ’24 piece The Bastard, something didn’t smell right in the kingdom of Sweden. And lo and behold, there he was, manning the guitars with gusto and the usual forlorn energy.
That said, Paganizer‘s last still throws a ton of red meat to the die-hard Swedeath fans. The swirling riffs, the acid-laced solos, the ubiquitous growls, they all punch through with the usual heft and measured wiolence that this crew is used to. It is all down-home Scandinavian Death Metal, exactly the way it was intended to be heard in the late ’90s or so. But, did the band do anything to evolve and take this into the new millennium? The RMR Review Desk detected a marked penchant toward fare heavier on thrash. But apart from that, it is – to put it bluntly – old tropes neatly packaged in new wrapping. And maybe, resurrecting old horrors like the oddball track Vanans Makt featuring Bulton of Lastkaj 14 may not have been the best idea for breaking things up. But then, this could just be me, right?
So, where does all that land us? Someone wrote that – and I quote “…As Mankind Rots simply could not sound any better.” Well, the RMR crew begs to differ, and emphatically so. This new regurgitation of much of the same muchness gave us the pleasure of enjoying a few moments of sturdy Swedish Death Metal. But – same as Flesh Requiem – the record didn’t really make it onto our internal playlist. Nor will it do so in the future. Rogga Johansson‘s flagship delivers good, sturdy metal fare. Heavy music in background mode of sorts. Good for driving and accompanying chores. But it will never be fodder to spin further. Instead, you get rock-solid, dime-a-dozen, somewhat uninspired Scandinavian Death Metal. Nothing more and nothing less.
Record Rating: 5/10 | Label: XTreem Music | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 5 February 2026