2008 has begun and already given its first few good albums, and now it is time for the first serious death metal record. Very raw, very strong and heavy, the self-titled new Dismember album is like a canned sonar kick from the 90’s that has preserved the primal strength and forwarded aggression of the style in its apogee. Not that the Swedes have ever made ballads, but in “Dismember” there is no tenderness, no mercy. The 11 cuts are forged in the typical for the band high-speed death with a distinctive crack sound of the guitars and the growls of Matti Kärki. The riffs of David Blomqvist and Martin Persson are like synchronized rusty chainsaws and give the fans’ favorite rough and raw sounding of the album, while the rhythm section is like an avalanche of falling bricks. In other words, we have solid old-school death metal - without attempts at being original and unnecessary swaggering, just concentrated fury. “Europa Burns” is the first bullet that the Stockholm five-piece shot in our ears through the special promotional MySpace profile and stated in no uncertain terms that Dismember will rule the roost again, and that they even have a leading hymn for their tour. Without rest in the tempo, in the album there follow one after other speeding volleys like “The Hills Have Eyes” and “Legion”, and “No Honor in Death” pulls the breaks only to crash the heaviness of the slow and vigorous riff and the roar of Matti’s throat. “Under a Bloodred Sky” helps for the diversity in the CD flowing from its rushing undeviating path to an Iron Maiden-like jolly guitar duel before the aggression of the other songs to pounce on us again. Yes, 2008 has begun and the hunting season is now officially opened... and Dismember are definitely not a game. They hunt. With fast shots, strong stabs and sharp blades.