Svaveldioxid: Misr O.D. 12″

Description

New album from swedish d-beat masters out this fall !!!! Total d-beat raw punk massacre ….

Recorded and mixed by Tomas Skogsberg/Sunlight studio, april 2025.
Mastered by Jack Conrow/Enormous door mastering, april 2025.

Our take: Phobia Records brings us a new album from Swedens Svaveldioxid, who has amassed quite a discography over their first decade of releasing records. I have friends who are total d-beat nerds and know that discography and its intricacies like the back of their hand. Those folks can tell you precisely how Misr O.D. stacks up against their split LP with Absolut from 2017 or their most recent 10 Frmmande Samtid Skrmmande Framtid, but unfortunately Im not qualified to do that. Ive checked in with Svaveldioxid periodically over the years and always enjoyed them, but I come to Misr O.D. without much baggage. If youre not familiar with Svaveldioxid, Sorry States readers might hear Swedish d-beat and think of the Totalitr-influenced sound that has been so popular lately with bands like Verdict, Gefyr, and Exploatr, but Svaveldioxid are a little different from that, their sound rooted in the gloomier end of Swedish d-beat populated by bands like Disfear and Avskum. Rather than agile riffs that frequently crash into that flatted fifth evil note, Svaveldioxids riffs are more minor-key, heavier, and driving rather than frantic. The other day I was listening to this record while I was working, and my attention drifted away from it to the point where I forgot what I was listening to when I snapped back, for a second I was like, am I listening to Impalers? Thats not a comparison I would have reached for, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Svaveldioxids vocals sound very similar to Ulshsa gravel-y shout treated with a healthy amount of reverband both bands also take a lot from self-titled / Criminal Trap-era Anti-Cimex, sitting in that pocket between more primitive raging d-beat and the slicker Motorcharged sound. Svaveldioxid sounds more European to me, though, with touches like the melodic, tremolo-picked guitar leads that pop up on several songs. Every once in a while they throw something unexpected at you, though, like the wild pogo breakdown in En Dd Snut r En Bra Snut. While its a long way from melodic crust, the hints of melody and sophisticated songwriting touches on Misr O.D. help separate it from the pack, making it a slightly elevated d-beat record that doesnt skimp on the essential speed and power.