Review: “Altered Realities” by Sovereign

“Altered Realities is a product of an ever-evolving journey we have taken as a band, from our start in 2018 and culminating in the album’s recording in early 2022. We strive to push ourselves, both in terms of speed and technicality, whilst still keeping a groove and dynamic. Our approach to death/thrash is an interplay between fast-paced aggression and a slower, more groove-oriented feel. The lyrical themes of the album mirror events and unrest that happened during the time of writing and is in itself a journey.” ~ Tommy Jacobsen, Guitars

Built around the axis of evil of former Nocturnal Breed guitarist duo Vidar Fineidet and Tommy Jacobsen, Sovereign was formed in Oslo Norway in 2018 and have since unleashed a self titled demo and an EP titled “Neurotic” as they create a blueprint for world domination in Death Thrash. That finds the duo joined by former Stormbeist bassist Simen Roher Grong, while a change at the drum stool finds Kristian Horn exit stage left to be replaced by Cato Syversrud of Altaar and Execration fame. A debut album some three years in the making is their latest burnt offering, the promise of Old School Extreme Metal hard to resist…

A hauntingly eerie horror movie introduction ushers in the opening cut and title track “Altered Reality” but rather that the urgent explosion of frantic riffs and feral vocals, the band that a slow burn approach. Building the sound over a couple of minutes before Simen Roher Grong begins the venom spitting gives the opportunity to start a few fires and in a fashion reminiscent of Nekromantheon or Pestilence give us something to deliver us to evil. A slow, drawn out solo from Jacobsen feels like he’s peeling flesh, while the prominence of the bass in the mix gives the rhythmic dynamic more cut and trust. The grand finale finally reaches that feral point we craved alongside some Crossover Thrash soloing that will leave you wondering what you’ve just witnessed. Fortunately “Futile Dreams” wastes little time in reaching critical mass, the unhinged vocal performance bordering on the depraved while a fleeting moment of synth is a spine chilling moment. There is a sense of the avant-garde about the direction of travel this four piece take, their performances hitting that they might have something left field up their collective sleeves. Once again the leads on this one are electric enough to raise the roof, the increased urgency making this one one of the lesser lights of heaven. “Nebular Waves” keeps things tight and aggressive with its sinister urges, the buzzsaw guitars and galloping drums soaked in the rantings of an axe wielding maniac. The riffs fly in all directions as the feral rant reaches its crescendo because when this beast is cornered, it comes out all guns blazing. Old School is an often over used term in the modern age but the truth is that this record could have been released as far back as 1982 and no one would have been any the wiser. It has that aged sound that was often heard from bands in an era when tapes were traded back in the day with the band not prepared to compromise for even a second on getting the sound they want.

A monster of a cut with some slick tempo shifts and a ripper of solo “Counter Tech” is a genre tour de force that sounds like it came out of America and impaled Norway as it buried its flag in it. Simen Roher Grong sounds like he’s sweating bullets from every orifice as this one plays out, the sinister urge in his dry throated rasp the perfectly weighted counter balance to the guitar tone the band have chosen. Going back to the style of the opening cut with extended instrumentals that border on the progressive side of things “The Enigma of Intelligence” is strangely reminiscent of the kind of work that Metallica put in with cuts like “The Call Of Ktulu” but with a lethal dose of aggression. When the vocals hit, their caustic abrasions lift it and offer another dimension of ear ache to endure before the return to something more direct in “Synthetic Life“. That mix of the two styles is an interesting one on this long player, the bands abilities in both realms of existence impressive and uncompromising. A whirlwind of unstoppable pulverising rage when they put the pedal to the Metal, Sovereign have all the musicianship but can they maintain their focus and not get trapped in the endless maze? The ten minute magnum opus that is “Absence of Unity” holds the key to that, a ripper of a cut with all the flamboyance and virtuoso guitar work you could ever want without straying too far from the path. Somehow still punchy and aggressive, it offers plenty of bite with the bark before the slow down into the epic grand finale which oozes so much class it can reverse a heart turned to stone… [7.5/10]

Track Listing

“Altered Realities” by Sovereign is out 19th January 2024 via Dark Descent Records