Panhandlers for mid-paced Death Metal will find a few scattered gems on this disc, but what shines has every hint of gold.

DEPRESSION delivers less to the Death Metal community than Santa Claus. Most tracks drag at best and the vocals oscillate between gutturals and shrieks with the predictability of sunshine in the desert

Klinkmann and Sattelkau rely on low, smashing frequencies to deliver their decapitations, but the impact better resembles a series of bites from an injured mosquito. Most riffs hold a 4/4 time signature with predictable (if not borrowed) drum beats. “Modertau” stands as the best offering of the lot, but nothing strays from the formulaic approach found in local nests for eager yet unrefined artists.

PAGANIZER falls into a similar but more dependable lot. Their riffs split and crush when necessary to open each track for simple yet essential lead work. The vocal quality obliterates the former half of the release in a manner that will lead the majority of first-time listeners to falsely label Johansson and company as more experienced artists.

“Hell Is Already Here” and “This Place Is Rot” establish PAGANIZER’s finer contributions while “Abortion Van” and the last six tracks sound like demos taken from a separate cloth. All in all the release offers a bitter taste of fossil fuel to those striving to hit paydirt.

(Online March 28, 2008)