Midvinterblot

While a new breed of death metal bands reared their collective heads shortly after the dawn of the 21st century, there was still a healthy amount of veteran acts in existence that miraculously weathered the '90s (an era which proved to be a bit harsh on the genre). Case in point, one of Sweden's longtime death metal exports, Unleashed. Their first release for the Steamhammer label (and eighth overall), 2006's Midvinterblot, shows the band continuing to stick to their metallic guns. Iron Maiden-like twin guitar harmonies and vocal growls abound, while you know what you're in store for with such song titles as "Triumph or Genocide," "Psycho Killer" (not to be confused with the classic Talking Heads tune of the same name), and "Valhalla Awaits." Brutal and punishing, Unleashed remain at the top of the death metal heap with Midvinterblot -- and should get extra bonus points for doing it as long as they have. ~ Greg Prato