History & Biography
Reviews SEANCE - AWAKENING OF THE GODS - PULVERISED 
There have been so many intervening years since the release of Swedish death metal heroes Seance’s last album, 1993’s Saltrubbed Eyes, that fans lost track, lost interest or simply came to believe that the band is done for. There were a few false reports of soon-to-be albums, reformations or newer songs, but truth basically boiled down to the band having called it a day in 1998 with its most prominent member Jensen Patrick (a.k.a Patrick Jensen) moving on to Witchery and The Haunted. This was obviously cause for added apprehension amongst those who justly remembered Jensen as the main riff-maker within the band.
Well, the year is 2009 and the band has in fact come back and lo and behold not much has changed. That is a good thing. A very good thing. Genuine death metal like this is rare enough end even more so given the quality with which these Swedes do it. The departure of Jensen has not adversely affected the music’s quality much or at all and, more fascinatingly, the quantity of the riffs has not only not gone down, but in fact increased.
Awakening Of The Gods - possibly a self-referencing metaphor - begins a little roughly with the sound production value not as sound as one would hope. The music gets progressively better, but one soon notices the furious pace of the riffs, the complex structures and the punishing nature of it all. The intricate structures do not negate the brutality though. The song They (no King Diamond inspiration to be found) is Morbid Angel-ish and crushing, but goes pop by fading out at the end. Invocation - possibly another self-reference - features some cool military drumming and speed riffing. Flight Of The Wicked is a weird bass instrumental solo that should have been more distorted. The band has a sense of humour apparently. Wasn’t Manowar’s self-indulgence of the same kind called Flight Of The Bumblebee? Choose Your Eternity is a little more Satyricon-ish.
Awakening Of The Gods might just be worthy of the name. The logo might have evolved, but the band’s guttural growls, complex heaviness and noisy solos are just what the good death metal doctor ordered. Death metal’s answer to Guns N’ Roses is back and possibly Fornever Laid To Rest. - Ali “The Metallian”
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