UMUR "Royal Straight Flesh" is the 4th full-length studio album by Swedish death/ thrash metal act Defleshed. The album was released in August 2003 by Regain Records. It´s been three years since the release of "Fast Forward (1999)", but listening to "Royal Straight Flesh" it soon becomes apparent that nothing has really changed in those years.

...Defleshed more or less still play the same fiercely aggressive death/ thrash style as they did on the predecessor. The energy level is extremely high with the fast played and aggressive riffs and the relentlessly pounding beats as the predominant characteristica. Lead vocalist/ bassist Gustaf Jorde has just the right hateful and raspy vocal delivery to provide the music with a venemous "in your face" attitude. The music is rather one-dimensional but with an energetic performance, powerful and raw production and the generally very well written and effective songs, it´s not a major issue. It´s not like 11 tracks distributed over 32:11 minutes should prove to be hard to swallow even though most of them build on more or less the same formula. Not when the music is as well played and attitude filled as this is. There are no uneccessary melodic hooks, solos or other tricks to make the music memorable, but after a couple of spins you begin to be able to recognise rythmic hooks, memorable vocal lines and other little details that ultimately make "Royal Straight Flesh" a memorable album.

"Royal Straight Flesh" is a no frills aggressive death/ thrash album, that is sure to beat you to a bloody pulp and afterwards leave you bleeding in the gutter. All that in just over 30 minutes. Oh what sweet torture. I absolutely adore this album and a 4 star rating is well deserved.