Sweden’s newest & hottest export, Sarcator, is here to give you a lesson in heavy metal savagery.
Formed in 2018, Sarcator, filled with young fans with a true passion for metal music, began writing some of the most explosive music to hit the scene for some time. Their self-titled debut hit the shelves in 2020 and helped the band create a great buzz. Now, “Swarming Angels & Flies,” the group’s third album and debut since signing with Century Media, sees the band write the most expansive and furious music to date.
“Burning Choir,” the opening track, is a blaze of breakneck riffs and crashing drums. It is an unrelenting opening track that pulls no punches right from its opening note, if only for a second for the band to switch up riffs and grab you for a second time. This mix of blackened thrash, with hints of war metal, death metal, and just great old speed metal, really gives Sarcator a refreshing sound but oh so violent one, ha!
The album’s title track “Swarming Angels & Flies” is a progressive thrash fan’s wet dream. The opening section “Let’s play riffs like a Maniac” award goes to guitarists & bassists Felix Lindkvist, Leo Buchalle & Mateo Tervonen for being able to play such complex but catchy riffs without their heads exploding.
This track really takes you everywhere as a listener; it doesn’t give you a chance to get bored. When each section changes, you are totally mesmerised by what the band is doing. Now that’s not to say you can’t headbang to it. Even with the technical effort the band puts in, this track is still catchy as hell.
“The Deep Ends” really gives the band the moment to flex their classic metal muscle. This track has a huge feel to it. Being the ripping solo section in the opening or the crazy yet hard-hitting drumming by Jesper Rosén. Feeling like the bastard child of Motorhead & Venom this track feels like a dirty stadium anthem. For such a young band these guys have already been able to crack the “what makes a song great” code, which is so rare to find in a relatively new band.
The album’s closer “Unto Sepulchres” gives us another big swing with a heavy hitter that’s infectious. This 200mph track is a pure thrashing dream. Mateo Tervone’s vocals the whole way through this album have been stellar. His agonising scream has been haunting but feels like it’s been summoned from that early 1980s being of thrash sound, like a descendant of Cronos & Tom G Warrior. As the track reaches its second half the band left their most ripping solos for those who stayed until the end. A pure nuclear assault on this track.
Sarcator is truly a special band. With music now in 2025 being flooded with new groups & bands hopping on trends, Sarcator is carving its path. They might be a young band but they have the writing skills & playing ability that might be better the some of the veterans right now.
“Swarming Angels & Flies” is a true showcase of taking your influences, and melding them together but adding enough of your secret sauce to create something exciting, head-turning & downright fucking filthy!
Review: Joseph Mitchell
Swarming Angels & Flies is out via Century Media on 17th January 2025
The album is available for pre-order.:
https://sarcator.lnk.to/
Watch the video for “Comet Of End Times” here.:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Watch the video for title track “Swarming Angels & Flies” here.:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
1. Burning Choir
2. Comet of End Times
3. Swarming Angels & Flies
4. The Deep Ends
5. Where the Void Begins
6. The Undercurrent
7. Closure
8. Unto Sepulchres
——————————
9. Dogfight (cover – originally by Anti Cimex)*
10. The Black Vomit (cover – originally by Sarcófago*
11. Torture (cover – originally by Sadus)*
*Bonus track on Ltd. CD Jewelcase in O-Card only“Swarming Angels & Flies” is now available for pre-order in the following formats:
https://sarcator.lnk.to/
· Ltd. Purple LP (300x copies!) w/ 8 tracks & 2-page LP insert
· Black LP w/ 8 tracks & 2-page LP insert
· CD Jewelcase (US Version) w/ 8 tracks
Sarcator LIVE
While Sarcator just finished their “The Rising Four” tour in Sweden, the band recently announced their album release show, scheduled for February 7th, 2025, at Bar Brooklyn in Stockholm, Sweden. Additionally, Sarcator have lined up some festival appearances in Germany and Sweden for next year with more live dates to be announced soon.
07.02.2025 Stockholm (Sweden) – Bar Brooklyn (Album release show)
04.-07.06.2025 Sölvesborg (Sweden) – Sweden Rock Festival
06.-07.06.2025 Essen (Germany) – Battle Cry Fest
25.-26.07.2025 Freißenbüttel (Germany) – Burning Q Festival
18.-20.09.2025 Schrobenhausen (Germany) – Metal im Woid
Sarcator Line Up
Sarcator 2024 are:
Mateo Tervonen – Vocals, Guitar
Felix Lindkvist – Bass
Leo Buchalle – Guitar
Jesper Rosén – Drums
Sarcator online
https://www.facebook.com/
https://www.instagram.com/
https://www.tnor.se/sarcator/
https://sarcator.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/
https://music.apple.com/us/
https://www.youtube.com/@