No doubt, Scandinavia and Gothenburg/Stockholm, Sweden in particular have a rare gene attached to their physical makeup. What else could create some of the most riveting metal on the planet? But over time, some Swedes have changed their tune and become, well, less Swedish. You see, when it comes to death metal that famous Sunlight Studios grind (courtesy of Tomas Skogsberg) was customary fare, a legendary piece of the death metal puzzle in the early '90s. Most bands (In Flames for example) have grown from such atrocities, broadening their sound and distancing themselves from their primal roots and the distractions found within. The point is, the current Swedish sound lacks the bite of old, the gritty, brutal nastiness of bands that really couldn't give a toss about acceptance on North American shores. So, with As Rapture Comes, Grave unleashes a fury of familiarity ... that's if you are accustomed to, or craving a death metal fix from yesteryear. So binge away, the logical follow-up to 2004's passable Fiendish Regression is a monster undisguised. Yes, Grave 2006 is just as violent and turd-stirring as days of old. And it's not just the tones, it's the tunes. Lead-off track 'Day Of Reckoning' is a page pulled from Grave's legendary You'll Never See opus, released nearly 15 years ago in its gutsy glory. It collides without breathing space into the frenzied gallop of 'Through Eternity'. 'By Demons Bred' is less imposing at first, until the wrath of rapture is unleashed in a thrashing spectacle, whereas 'Unholy Terror' is a black metal feast that turns even nastier with each moment of flailing limbs and head contusions. 'Battle Of Eden' slows festivities down a tad, but finds a biting groove that remains grueling to say the least. But deep into the record, a wrench is thrown into the machinery - Alice In Chains' demise was sadly overshadowed by a overly-depressed Layne Staley, who pounded his veins with soluble solutions that have no right in a human. 'Them Bones', which he is now, was one of the shining moments that arose out of Seattle, and it's covered here and shines as a brutal battalion. A monumentous chorus that cries for help (which he didn't get) but hopefully we will all learn from. "Some say we're born into the grave" - lead throat Ola Lindgren prophecizes with lyrics he didn't compose, but a set that fits his modus operandi with perfection.