Exclusive Release: Paganizer Bring the Apocalypse on “The Netherworld Carnivale”

Swedish death metal act Paganizer. Photo: Courtesy of the band.

Swedish vocalist-guitarist Roger “Rogga” Johansson has been a part of so many metal bands for so long, he finds it tough to keep track of how many years his Swedish death metal project Paganizer has been active. When we tell him it’s been 22 years, Johansson jokes, “It’s been that long?”  The 40-year-old musician, who is based out of the small mining town of Gamleby, is also involved in various underground Swedish death metal acts like Demiurg, Dead Sun, Ribspreader and Echelon, to name a few.

Johansson’s latest release however, comes with Paganizer’s crushing new track “The Netherworld Carnivale” off their upcoming 10th full-length album On the Outskirts of Hades. The early Obituary-esque cruncher sees guitarist Kjetil Lynghaug load up on the chugging riffs, while drummer Matte Fiebig and bassist Martin Klasen lock in solid bass attacks and breakdowns. Says Johansson, “‘The Netherworld Carnivale’ is like a metaphor, that piece by piece the world is opening up to hell, the carnival has opened, that slowly this place is turning into purgatory; it’s like a festival of utter sickness approaching.”

On the Outskirts of Hades, which is out on August 1st via Transcending Obscurity Distribution, comes after seven EPs/splits and nine studio albums, but Johansson and the band aren’t slowing down. Says Johansson “There’s a need to make music. I write music all the time, I always have done it, so that’s what keeps me going.”

Listen to “The Netherworld Carnivale” below.

[audioalbum title=”On the Outskirts of Hades” detail=”Transcending Obscurity Distribution” date=”2016″]

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