More than any of the recent surge of Swedish bands paying tribute to the golden days of Stockholm death metal, Miasmal's self-titled album captures the sound of early Nihilist and Carnage perfectly - mostly through a production that really does like a demo (their actual demo recordings are included at the end, and the sound quality is at times preferable). Not subway friendly listening.Verisimilitude aside, Miasmal would benefit from a clearer and punchier sound, one that brings their power to the forefront without sacrificing their primitive leanings (see the last Repugnant album, which sounds like a long lost brother to Repulsion's classic Horrified sessions, grimy but never descending into vacuum cleaner droning).
A couple days before their first real introduction to American audiences at Maryland Death Fest, Miasmal played a small show at Brooklyn hole-in-the-wall Acheron. The sound in that venue is kind of terrible, and every set felt like listening to a boombox lodged in an AC vent, but whatever. I wasn't able to catch Miasmal at MDF and so wasn't going to miss the opportunity to watch them fuck shit up on my home turf.
Their live set took no prisoners, and sealed the deal with a full-throttle cover of Entombed's "Serpent Speech" (which apparently I alone recognized). I returned home with a sore neck and two Miasmal shirts. My only regret is that I wouldn't be able to catch their MDF set. Here's hoping they get an opening spot for one of their more prominent countrymen - a Dismember/Miasmal tour would make heads explode.
