ALBUM REVIEW
WRITTEN IN BLOOD – The Final War
Old-school death metal driven by aggressive riffing.
The Dutch death metal scene has managed to surprise me at every stage since the years when I first discovered GOREFEST. Looking into WRITTEN IN BLOOD's career, I was intrigued to discover that the band revolves around former GOD DETHRONED bassist and vocalist Bert “Beef” Hoving, which inevitably doubled my interest in this release. Across its six tracks, "The Final War" EP combines the weight of traditional death metal riffs with melodic guitar lines, adding the characteristic guitar tone of Swedish death metal to its sonic palette. Released in 2026 following the band's 2022 debut album, this second EP offers familiar reference points for understanding their musical direction. The sound developed by the lineup brings together the melodic yet aggressive death metal of GOD DETHRONED's early days with the heavier, rhythm-driven approach of bands such as OBITUARY and BOLT THROWER.
This combination is most evident in the guitar work. Thick rhythm guitars are reinforced by sharp melodic passages, while the riffs derive their impact not simply from speed but also from their rhythmic weight. The chunky, buzzsaw guitar tone associated with Swedish death metal gives the compositions a distinct character, particularly in the mid-tempo sections. The shifting double-bass patterns and tempo changes also prevent the songs from becoming monotonous. Hoving's deep growls are occasionally punctuated by more aggressive vocal outbursts, lending an appropriate sense of expression to the music's war-themed narrative. The clarity of the production keeps the guitar melodies from getting lost beneath the dense rhythmic layers, resulting in a forceful death metal sound that retains its rawness rather than opting for the polish of modern metal production.
Opening track 'Unholy Return' establishes its rhythmic dynamism through shifts between single and double-kick patterns. A calmer instrumental passage in the middle enhances the impact when the intensity rises again, while the prominent growls and use of multi-layered laughter in the vocals give the track additional character. The title track, 'The Final War', moves at a faster pace and stands out as one of the clearest examples of GOD DETHRONED's influence, thanks to its changing rhythmic structures and memorable guitar line. The resemblance goes beyond a general affinity for the same genre; it is also apparent in the way the melodic guitars move alongside the punishing rhythms.
With its more direct chorus and prominent guitar melodies, 'This Fear' is one of the EP's most accessible tracks. The weight of the riffs, which recalls BOLT THROWER, is balanced by a more restrained vocal delivery in the chorus. This approach demonstrates how melodic elements can enhance a song's memorability without diminishing its heaviness. This is precisely where WRITTEN IN BLOOD prove most effective within the boundaries of traditional death metal: the compositions work through the interplay between riffs and vocal lines, without requiring complex arrangements or constantly shifting structures.
One of the EP's most striking moments, 'Ghost Warriors', takes a different developmental path from the riff-driven approach of the other tracks. Its march-like opening gradually expands into a broader atmosphere, with military drums and resonant bells reinforcing that atmosphere, particularly towards the end. The musical impact comes not merely from the sounds themselves but from how they are incorporated into the track's gradual progression. Rather than relying on constant pressure through tempo and intensity, the song adopts a more ceremonial approach while retaining the melodic character of the guitars. It is also the track that connects most strongly with the EP's thematic framework of ancient beliefs, old gods and religious power struggles.
By contrast, 'We Drink the Blood' fits the overall approach with its heavy riffs and powerful guitar tone, but offers less in the way of new musical ideas. Its rhythmic weight is effective, yet the melodic and structural variations heard elsewhere on the EP are less apparent here. Closing track 'Trapped in a Dark Forest', meanwhile, functions more as a narrative and atmospheric finale than a conventional death metal song. Its spoken-word vocal approach and unsettling mood expand the EP's conceptual scope, but the track's atmospheric direction does not achieve the same musical impact as the riff-centred songs that precede it.
The mixing and mastering handled by Henry Sattler give this traditional approach a contemporary, clearly defined sound. The prominence of the guitars, the weight of the rhythm section and the placement of the vocals within the instrumentation bring the compositions' defining characteristics into focus. That said, clarity of production and an impressive guitar tone do not, in themselves, create originality. WRITTEN IN BLOOD's music remains largely rooted in established death metal songwriting conventions; melodic guitars, mid-tempo passages and a war-themed atmosphere bring familiar elements of the genre together once again. This approach gives the EP a coherent and readily identifiable character, while also limiting the number of musical surprises.
I don't think the success of "The Final War" lies in pushing traditional death metal into new territory, nor do I believe that was ever the intention. Rather, it lies in demonstrating that familiar techniques, handled with an understanding of the genre's established vocabulary, can still produce effective results. 'Ghost Warriors' and 'This Fear' represent the moments when the band successfully brings melody, rhythmic weight and atmosphere together, while the more predictable tracks reveal that this approach does not deliver equally strong results every time. Rather than searching for a new direction, the EP opts to sustain an established death metal approach through solid songwriting and a distinctive guitar tone, making its appeal to fans of melodic and groove-oriented traditional death metal unmistakable. Released ahead of WRITTEN IN BLOOD's second full-length album, planned for 2027, "The Final War" reinforces the band's existing direction. The question is how far they can take this solid foundation through more distinctive songwriting choices on their next release.
https://writteninblood666.bandcamp.com/