Roger “Rogga” Johansson only has Dan Swano to compete with in terms of projects he participated in, both past and present. This site, if not leading the world in terms of number of reviews given to Rogga’s efforts, has certainly given the man his due. Crimson II (by temporarily revived Edge of Sanity), and less known Paganizer and Banished from Inferno are some of the bands in which Rogga made appearance on these pages. Add the new entity Bone Gnawer to the list. Only now, Rogga has stepped away from the microphone to handle mostly bass duties and united with a legendary death metal voice in Kam Lee (Mantas, then Death, and recently Denial Fiend). Together with a couple of more prominent names in Swedish scene, Ronnie Bjornstrom (Ribspreader, Hate Ammo) and Morgan Lie (Naglfar, previously Auberon), the quartet chose gory death metal for its debut Feast of Flesh. Sounds right when your moniker is Bone Gnawer. With Ronnie’s and Rogga’s other acts (Hate Ammo, Those Who Bring the Torture) signed to Pulverized Records, this Singaporean death/thrash juggernaut stood behind the release.

If there is one impression I was able to carry throughout the album’s ten cuts is that the guys managed to have lots of fun working on this project and it shows. Having also brought along Killjoy of Necrophagia, Stevo do Caixao of Impetigo and Dopi of Machetazo for additional vocal contributions, the troupe prances effortlessly through the well mined field of brutal death metal which is absolutely unoriginal, but catchy as hell, executed flawlessly and produced masterfully. This reminds me of me, if I wanted to stuff down my customers’ throat a product I knew they would enjoy, because I have done it before so many times I’d make it so well now, they would be addicted to it despite frequent overuse.

Tight, slightly downtuned, choppy riffs of Sliced and Diced, the sheer catchiness of Defleshed and Skinned, this is that fun, not taking itself too seriously death metal, which is impossible not to headbang or tap your feet to. Double bass pummeling quite incessantly at times (Defleshed and Skinned, Make You Die Slow), these experienced death mongers know how to keep the tempo varied, alternating grinding speeds and meaty slowdowns (Cannibal Cook-Out).

Feast of Flesh, if not for its tongue-in-cheek lyrical subject matter, could almost be called a “lighter” affair by death metal standards. It isn’t that the guitars don’t crush bones delivering the riffs, but the mood of the CD appears to be practically jovial. Using plenty of American death metal hooks, the album also has an undeniable Swedish melodicism and flair, throwing in a quick Defleshed solo amidst the grinding fun (Hatchet Face). On the whole, the album can masquerade as a Cannibal Corpse/Dismember crossover, giving testament to the origin of its members. To further remove Feast of Flesh from the dregs death metal can sometimes reach, Kam Lee’s voice is the last thing you can call a bottomless ultragrowl. Instead, closer to the lower thrash register, he is just barking the words out, especially in Cannibal Cook-Out and the title track.

A very even throughout, without major highs or lows in terms of song quality, Feast of Flesh is going to take you on a quick 35 min gruesome joyride. Obligatory chainsaw (The Saw is Family) and pigs munching on something (title track) samples reinforce the notion that puritans need not apply when it gets to the album lyrics. I am sure it was self-evident by now, given the above recitation of some of the songs titles. You need Feast of Flesh just like you need a trite horror movie, you know of all the tricks in the book already, but you absolutely do not mind catching another thrill since the storyline is crafted so well.