Pantokrator: Marching Out Of Babylon | How To Survive These Times
(2021 – Nordic Mission)
Pantokrator brings back such fond memories. We first discovered this band in the early 2000s thanks to their excellent 2001 EP “Sons Of Salomon” and the outstanding 2003 album “Blod,” both of which are part of our collection, but then we lost track of them. Until now. We’ve just received what is, so far, Pantokrator’s latest studio album. We’re talking about “Marching Out Of Babylon,” released in 2021.
Obviously, a lot has happened between their early days and this album, but what hasn’t changed is Pantokrator’s lineup, which continues to feature Mattias Johansson on guitars, Karl Walfridsson on vocals, Jonas Wallinder on bass, and Rickard Gustafsson on drums, with the recent addition of Jonathan Jansson on guitar, making the band a quintet.
If the Pantokrator we came to know was a band playing technical and progressive Death Metal in some way, making melancholy and classic elements a hallmark, the same can no longer be said in the third decade of the 21st century, as we now find a Pantokrator that knows how to adapt to the changing times without losing relevance and is in the midst of a transformation.
In that vein, Pantokrator manages to capture in “Marching Out Of Babylon” an album with which one can no longer say they are a simple, basic, run-of-the-mill death metal band; rather, they achieve the difficult balance between their well-known style and new elements centered on metalcore, without logically being considered a band of that genre, though the influence is undeniable—it is undeniable!
We can hear this right from the first track. “Day Of Wrath” kicks off with full force, right from the start and without subtleties. The intricate riffs and breakdowns typical of metalcore intertwine to deliver a super-fast, aggressive track, yet with catchy melodies in the choruses. Likewise, it seems Pantokrator isn’t ready to leave their old ways behind, as “Wedlock” appears to be the bridge between the band’s older material and their current sound, in a mid-tempo track with rhythms reminiscent of the old Pantokrator, incorporating for the occasion that typical blend of growling and clean vocals in the choruses—a hallmark of modern metalcore—interwoven with those exquisite guitar melodies that Pantokrator knows how to craft.
But speaking of metalcore, the undeniable rhythm of its influence is found in “Crossroads,” a track that incorporates a relentless riff that could even be likened to Living Sacrifice or Demon Hunter—to name two references of the style—yet it still adheres to the rules that Pantokrator themselves impose without falling into the trap of obvious copy-and-paste.
“Marching Out Of Babylon” is the title track of the album. Once again, we return to what we already know of Pantokrator, filtered through a doom lens that lends a heavy and mysterious air to the track in question. Possibly inspired by the pandemic, the song is about breaking free from the system in which we live.
In “The Last Cheeks,” things seem to accelerate at a relentless pace, offering no respite and blending elements of Thrash Metal, Death Metal, and Metalcore, and in between, “Hidden Deep” stands out as a track with that slightly gothic vibe that Pantokrator often brings to their compositions, always at a moderate pace and with their characteristic fury, and even featuring a few blast beats here and there.
“We The People” kicks off with a truly crushing riff, essentially incorporating a bit of every element Pantokrator draws upon to forge their own style, but with a vibe that leans decidedly toward the most acidic and gritty Metalcore of the genre. And as an excellent way to close out the album, we have “Phoenix Rising,” with a certain Black Metal influence in its blast beats and a certain epic quality to its tone that makes it a sort of anthem—heavy, deep, and undoubtedly grandiose.
For the band, this album represents a sort of intersection of all of Pantokrator’s eras from their beginnings up to 2019, as they claim to have recorded this album over various periods and at different times and places. The lyrics reflect the band’s philosophy spanning nearly 20 years.
Above all, it seems that with “Marching Out Of Babylon,” Pantokrator is not willing to remain stuck in the style of the old days. Without neglecting their strengths, they incorporate modern elements into their approach to technical and progressive Death Metal, achieving an agile and direct album, without beating around the bush.
Not much remains of the epic side we once knew them for, despite a few fleeting hints here and there. The band’s sound is centered on metalcore without fully succumbing to its conventions, and that’s where Pantokrator truly shines as a band.
Apparently, “Marching Out Of Babylon” is possibly a new starting point for Pantokrator, adapting to musical changes without losing its essence.
The sound is raw, heavy, and overloaded with guitars generally playing in low registers, but there are also special guests here and there. Among them are C.J. Grimmark of Narnia, who contributes a guitar solo on “Wedlock”; Rebecka Gustafsson on vocals for several tracks on the album, as well as Mund on “Phoenix Rising”; and Jani Stefanovic (Silence The Echo), who added another solo on “Crossroads” and also handled the mixing of the album at Dreamdecipher Productions.
The artwork is quite something. The illustrations accompanying both the album cover and the rest of the interior design are truly excellent and capture the concept and message Pantokrator aims to convey with this album. In fact, the full image of the cover illustration can be found inside the booklet. Additionally, as expected, it includes the song lyrics, technical details, etc., along with good photographs of the band as well.
Interestingly, “Marching Out Of Babylon,” in addition to the CD, was also released on vinyl and cassette!, something worth noting in these times of widespread digitization.
Pantokrator demonstrates its vitality and evolution with “Marching Out Of Babylon,” a work that encapsulates part of its long history and career, condensing its style into a few tracks while also updating it for the current era.
And of course, we’ve included below one of the singles from the album, along with the official music video for the track “We The People,” as well as details on where to get this album and find Pantokrator on social media, follow them, and stay tuned for their news…
https://www.facebook.com/Pantokrator
https://www.instagram.com/pantokratorsweofficial
