Finland’s Deathchain had made their two previous albums such showcases of a more death metallic determination (instead of the thrashier grooves prevalent on their first two records) that it only seems logical that a trilogy of sorts was fulfilled, and Death Gods does that in grand fashion.

I hesitated a little when adding the “blackened” side to our lil’ genre-indicator up there. It’s not that the band has gone all corpsepaint on us, far from it. Lyrically, Deathchain’s deep infatuation with H.P. Lovecraft is very much intact, paired up here with some tales of Sumerian and Babylonian deities as well. No standard BM-fare to be found in the words. But some of the riffs, the more twisted vibes, it somehow brings a Swedish black metal-vibe to me.

It must also be said that the feel throughout this album is epic. Absolutely no keyboards or anything of the cheesier kind have been brought out to create that, but the soundscape of this record is just BIG. Much of that can be attributed to the devastating and stellar production job, that has everything pulverizing in balance through every song. Love that clanging bass and pounding kick drums. Vocalist Khaos (backed with mighty growls by now new regular member, singer/programmer C.Void) remains a fierce aural figure with his vicious gruffiness, even if his style of death metal vocals may feel a bit monotonous after repeated spins.

The song material glides between respectable technical exercises and delicious skull bashers. The opening duo of Storming the Death Gods and Scimitar rampage proudly in the steps of Morbid Angel while We Are Unearthed and Howling of the Blind mix in some plowing-over-you-like-molten-lead riffage to the frantic drum patterns. The biggest points must still be given to Cthulhu Rising, a 12-minute dominator of a song that may seem nonchalant during the foreshadowing chant that opens the tune, but after the heaviness crashes the party, you just might be better off if the winged-and-tentacled-great-one rose from his ancient tomb and finished you off before this song had the chance to do it. Bottom line, Deathchain’s fifth album may fall just short of being their best, but it is damn close. For all fans of quality death metal, I urge you to check this sucker out.