As the album spins out, the drums are executed with sizzling speed, but the overall tempo can't be said to push past a mid-pace; and the compositions, while stuffed with jarring guitar work which hints of Unleashed, are barren of solos -- not that it's necessarily a bad thing. Traces of Fleshcrawl and related acts become conspicuous, yet Paganizer lack the brutal nature of other groups like Torture Division, mainly in the vocal attack. _Scandinavian Warmachine_ lacks the "finesse" of such bands, and in spite of his omnipresence in the metal community, Rogga Johansson's vocals founder beneath the mix. Indeed, with such trenchant songs doing approximately the same thing, they could have done with less of them, yet they chose to crown their efforts with an anticlimactic finale. An hour of songs is undoubtedly good bang for your buck, but several of the tracks, while not blatantly bad, are dispensable filler.

No, this isn't at all the sort of death metal thrown together for the pit, but these rhythms grow on you and the stripped-down, bare-bones concept can't help but appeal to fans of the desultory sounds of Grave and Dismember. To wit, Paganizer offer us nothing earth-shattering, but merely a high-quality album that serves as a testament to their years of engagement with the genre.