Crust punk, hardcore, d-beat, or even “kängpunk” if you’ve been on board since the early days: call it what you will, the blending of punk and metal has always been a fertile bed to lay the seeds of some really killer music.  Yes, technically those terms are not interchangeable with each other, but the Venn Diagram of those terms shows a significant amount of thematic overlap.  Entering their own point onto the blessed chart is Stockholm’s own Harmagedon with their debut Dystopian Dreams, featuring members of Martyrdöd and Freedom seeking to take their place among the giants.

Harmagedon are no strangers to the heavy music scene, as you already heard.  The ethos of Dystopian Dreams is maximum heaviness with minimum frills and a focus on the blend of metal aesthetics that draw equal influence from Neurosis, Black Sabbath, High on Fire and fellow countrymen Entombed with the snot-nosed DIY punk spirit we all know and love.  To that end, Harmagedon operates in the classic power trio format, cutting out the fluff of extra instruments and relying on the core musical prowess that comes with minimalism.  Even more interestingly, Dystopian Dreams was recorded live at the band’s own studio, with minimal overdubs (and possibly no overdubs; I’ve listened to this thing quite a few times and I haven’t been able to catch any, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there).  Honestly, this is probably the smartest choice Harmagedon could have made for themselves for a debut.  There is an undeniable energy that pervades Dystopian Dreams that can only come with a live recording, all three members being in the same room as each other, feeding off of and playing off of each other.  That aesthetic blends perfectly with the punk attitude that makes up half of Harmagedon’s DNA, and it’s such an interesting way of capturing the spirit of a band.  It also doesn’t hurt that Dystopian Dreams was mastered by another confrere, Cult of Luna’s Magnus Lindberg.  That’s a seal of approval that simply can’t be overlooked.  

Besides aesthetics, there’s a lot that Dystopian Dreams has going for it.  For one, the riffs are super tight and crunchy the way you would expect hardcore-tinged death and roll to be.  The addition of some of the sludgy, bluesy elements certainly helps keep things interesting as well.  The nine tracks stomp and mosh their way through a tight 30 minute runtime without overstaying their welcome, and there are quite a few moments that will test the tensile strength of your neck tendons.  Especially of note are the wicked guitar solos that on their own are righteous but sound all the better when it’s just bass and drums backing them up.  Still, there is one thing I can’t help but feel is missing: some punk.  For a band that claims to draw influence from kängpunk, there’s hardly a d-beat to be found.  No gallops, not a lot of variety in tempo, and nothing that overtly screams “punk” to me.  What you get is much closer to a fusion of Wolverine Blues and stompy American hardcore than what I would consider “d-beat” or “crust punk.”  Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like it’s kind of a silly omission.

Still, Harmagedon are just cracking into the scene, so it’s understandable that there would still be room to grow.  For what it is, Dystopian Dreams is a solid album with a lot to like, and there is a lot of promise for the sophomore release.  Throwing more punk into the mix would definitely elevate Harmagedon to the heights they strive for, but for now they can rest easy that they made a pretty solid record with an interesting vibe that sets them apart from their peers.

— Ian

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Dystopian Dreams is available now on Svart Records.  For more information on Harmagedon, visit their Bandcamp page.