The problem with these Swede second-leaguers is that they’ve made so many stylistic changes since their formation in 1990 that it’s hard to know who they truly are, a premise supported by their incessant lineup shifts.
Following a six-year hiatus, their latest incarnation – featuring one original member, bassist Martin Schulman, alongside seasoned pros from Internment and October Tide – voted for a total U-turn on 2014’s Redeeming Filth.
Gone were the twisted and epic death/thrash arrangements of 2004’s pre-split album, Decadence – Prophecies Of Cosmic Chaos, in favour of a far more straightforward and accessible form of death metal with big fat power chords and no blastbeats. It’s music the band could have written in their sleep, and that safe yet quite effective move has been repeated here. It is, however, Doomsday Rituals’ biggest shortcoming, as it makes do with going through the motions but lacks ambition and of that gripping sense of dread oozing out of so many youngsters in the queue. Centinex know their job, but Doomsday Rituals is unlikely to gain them a promotion.
