Paganizer // As Mankind Rots // Album Review

Swedish death metal legends Paganizer are back with their most disgustingly rotten album to date!

Now with a twenty-seven-year career, Paganizer is the true meaning of Swedish death metal. Influenced by the early scene with the likes of greats like Entombed & Grave. With a discography of thirteen full-length studio albums and an ever-growing brood of EPs, split releases, live albums and compilations, the group has been around for some time. But with each album, band leader Rogga Johansson shows us that Paganizer are keeping the underground death metal corpse well & truly alive.

The group’s newest album,” As Mankind Rots,” goes straight to the point, no intro track, no fluff & fat, just straight fucking metal. The title track & first on the album gives you what you want from the opening second. Hard & heavy buzzsaw-toned guitars, non-stop blasting drums, thunderous bass & lastly, Johansson’s signature snarl.

Its fast punk-infused metal-like pace is like a tank coming over the hill, ready for the attack. The great thing about the band is also the melodic element they slip into the riffs. The chorus riff, for instance, features a marked shift in tone that gives it an eerie yet catchy feel.

With a huge swing in its step, “Devoured” gives you the perfect example of a mix of early Boltthrower through a Swedish OSDM lens. With its juggernaut feel & really bouncy rhythm at times, combined with these great, standalone-style big riffing sections, this track has a great, epic feel. It still keeps the fast pace of the album’s opening, but it also shows a great strength of Paganizer’s bow: the ability to write huge, earworm-style riffs that make the songs sound familiar yet their own. Like you’ve been listening to it for years, but it still sounds so fresh.

Keeping the pace going, “Put on Your Gasmask” is a great under-three-minute banger of a track. Drummer Matte Fiebig’s skills are really tested on this one as the bpm’s are fast, but it’s the flourish of double kicks at moments of the track that give it that different & peaks your ears. As the tracks bridge in the band really builds to a great little section with the use of air-raid sirens that merge with hard arse breakdown style chugs that just keep going before Johansson’s big “OUGH” and they kick back into the fast riff again. This one’s a bit of a gem on the album.

Feeling like the album’s opus “A Testament to Madness” is what we call “BIGRIFFENERGY”. Right from the first bar of the opening riff I wanted to headbang my skull through the table. Not many people can make a simple riff hard, memorable & catchy but Paganizer never fails to do so.

The track has a very stripped-back feel; it might be the longest track on the album, but it doesn’t matter as the band is taking you on a journey you need. At moments, they increase the tempo but still keep that swinging, hard-hitting groove they have carried through the track. This one is a proper fist-pumper of a track.

“As Mankind Rots” is yet another solid album from Paganizer. They play to their strengths but also add in some great moments that change things up, making a very memorable & special album. Dennis Blomberg’s lead guitar work on the album is a true gem & adds some great moments to the album’s already epic feel.

If you love your death metal sounding like a big, heavy & deep rooted in that classic Swedish feel then “As Mankind Rots” is the perfect album for you.

Review: Joseph Mitchell

As Mankind Rots Is Out Via Xtreem Music On February 5th 2026