UTUMNO — Across the Horizon (review)

UTUMNO — Across the Horizon album cover EP · 1993 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
UMUR
"Across the Horizon" is an EP release by Swedish death metal act Utumno. The EP was released through Cenotaph Records in 1993. It succeeds the release of the "The Light of Day" EP from 1991. Both tracks from "The Light of Day" ("Saviour Reborn" and "In Misery I Dwell") were re-recorded and included on "Across the Horizon". The original versions from "The Light of Day" have been added as bonus material on later reissues of "Across the Horizon". "Across the Horizon" was recorded at Sunlight Studio in Stockholm, Sweden with producer Tomas Skogsberg.

Although Utumno had lurked in the old school Swedish death metal underground since 1990 (originally under the Carnal Redemption monicker), they didn´t manage to release a full-length studio album during the heyday of Swedish death metal (1989-1993), and before the release of "Across the Horizon" they only had the 1991 "Twisted Emptiness" demo and the above mentioned 1991 two-track "The Light of Day" EP under their belts. While "Across the Horizon" isn´t a full-length studio album it does come close as it features six tracks and a total playing time of 28:02 minutes.

Stylistically Utumno is one of the more varied and interesting Swedish death metal acts from the early 90s and it´s contemporary artists like Edge of Sanity and especially Afflicted that I´m reminded of (rather than Nihilist/Entombed, Dismember, and Grave). I wouldn´t call Utumno progressive but they are certainly adventurous and technically also very skilled. Lead vocalist Jonas Stålhammar is to my ears one of the great unsung growlers from the early 90s Swedish scene (along with Joakim Bröms from Afflicted), able to deliver brutal growling but also fiercely aggressive raw vocals. He should have left out the very short clean vocal experiment on "Emotions Run Cold (Saints and Sinners)" and the spoken word vocals on "The Light of Day", but other than that his performance here is vicious and commanding.

"Across the Horizon" is one of those more or less forgotten gems that you sometimes come across. It´s a high quality release, featuring intriging and effectful songwriting, a well playing band, and a professional, powerful, and detailed sound production. Through and through a high quality product. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.
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