Unleashed: Fire Upon Your Lands - Album Review
There are albums that you put on in the background while you make dinner, and then there are albums that you put on and forget your cooking that burn the entire kitchen down. Fire Upon Your Lands, the fifteenth full-length from Swedish death metal heathens Unleashed, is absolutely the latter. Set to be released on August 15, 2025 via Napalm Records, will definitely turn your listening space into a blood-soaked battlefield where the only law is the riff.
We’ve seen Unleashed weather the trends for decades now, the subgenre splintering, and the constant temptation to “modernise” in ways that strip away the soul of death metal. They’ve never taken that bait. Instead, they’ve doubled down on their brand of Viking-infused, old-school death metal, melodic enough to hook you, brutal enough to keep you pinned to the wall. And this record is no exception.
If you’ve been following Heavy Metal Citadel, you’ll know we recently dove deep into the crushing doom majesty of Crypt Sermon’s Saturnian Appendices. That record was all about towering atmosphere and philosophical shadows. Fire Upon Your Lands is its unhinged war cousin, no incense, no meditation, just steel and fire and the smell of burning enemy ships.
How Unleashed Set the Tone
From the moment Left For Dead kicks in, you know this is not going to be a slow build. There’s no intro track, no ambient scene-setting. The guitars bite down hard, that distinct Stockholm death metal tone as thick and gritty as a shield wall, but with the clarity that comes from decades of perfecting their craft.
Johnny Hedlund’s vocals have always been a defining feature of Unleashed, and here they’re as commanding as ever. It’s that warlord bark, somewhere between a death growl and a battlefield command, and on this opener, it’s exceptional. I found myself involuntarily nodding along, then fully headbanging before the first minute was done.
The thing about Unleashed’s pacing is that they don’t rush you through a song just to get to the next blast beat. They give each riff room to breathe, which makes it hit that much harder when the tempo shifts. This is a skill that separates veterans from eager newcomers. You can hear it in Left For Dead, the band knows exactly when to give you a breather and exactly when to knock the wind out of you.
The Anthemic Power of A Toast To The Fallen
A Toast To The Fallen is a true feast for the ears. This track slows things down just enough to feel ceremonial, but it never loses that undercurrent of aggression. The riffs here are monolithic, each one landing with the weight of a hammer on an anvil.
There’s a melodic thread running through the song that reminds me why Unleashed has always been one of the most accessible gateways into death metal for newcomers.
You can hum these riffs. You can remember them after the song ends. But make no mistake, there’s nothing watered down here. This is still death metal with grit and substance.
The Road To Haifa Pier and War Comes Again
One of the joys of this record is how each track feels like part of a larger saga. The Road To Haifa Pier paints a vivid picture, you can almost hear the creak of the ships, the clash of steel on deck, the crash of waves beneath. There’s an almost cinematic sweep to the way the riffs are layered, giving the song a sense of movement and purpose.
Then comes War Comes Again, and it’s exactly as relentless as the title suggests. The drum work here is a masterclass in death metal percussion. Anders Schultz is not trying to reinvent the blast beat, but he’s delivering it with a precision and power that makes each hit feel like an artillery shell. There’s something deeply satisfying about hearing a band this far into their career still playing like they have something to prove.
Fire Upon Your Lands
Title tracks can be tricky, they carry the weight of the album’s identity, and if they fall flat, it can sink the whole ship. No such problem here. Fire Upon Your Lands is a scorcher in every sense. The main riff is a hook that refuses to let go, the kind that will have you waking up at 3 AM still hearing it in your head. The chorus is pure war chant, the kind of thing you could imagine a hall full of drunk warriors shouting back at the stage.
The solo here deserves a mention too. It’s melodic, it’s purposeful, and it elevates the whole song. Fredrik Folkare’s lead work throughout this album is stellar, but on this track, it’s transcendent.
Unyielding Loyalty and the Journey to Midjardarhaf
Loyal To The End is exactly what it says on the tin, a pledge, a declaration, a statement of intent. It’s one of the shorter tracks on the record, but it’s all killer, no filler. The riff that kicks it off is pure Stockholm steel, and it doesn’t let up.
Then we dive into Midjardarhaf, which has one of the most evocative titles on the album. The music matches the grandeur of the name, unfolding like a sea voyage that turns into a storm. The tempo shifts here are particularly well-executed, pulling you into the narrative without losing the sheer physical impact of the music.
Hail The Varangians!
This trilogy of tracks toward the end of the album feels like a final push toward victory. Hail The Varangians! is pure adrenaline, the kind of track that would make even the most stoic crowd explode into a pit. To My Only Son adds an unexpected layer of emotion, reminding me of how Amon Amarth sometimes weaves personal stakes into their mythic storytelling. And Hold Your Hammers High! is exactly the kind of closer you want, triumphant, defiant, and begging to be played live.
Unknown Flag: The Last Banner Standing
The final track, Unknown Flag, brings everything together. It’s got the grit, the melody, the aggression, and the storytelling all in one. It doesn’t feel like an afterthought or a throwaway, it feels like the culmination of the album’s journey. When it ends, you’re left with that rare feeling that you’ve actually been somewhere, that you’ve experienced something more than just a collection of songs.
Production and Performance: Veteran Precision
One thing that struck me across the entire album is how clean the production is without losing any of the mud. This is no small feat. Too much polish and you lose the raw edge that makes death metal work; too little and it becomes a swampy mess. Fire Upon Your Lands hits that sweet spot perfectly. You can hear every note of the bass, every nuance of the guitar work, every thunderous hit of the drums, all while still feeling the weight of the sound as a whole.
It’s also worth noting that this is the sound of a band who know each other inside out. The chemistry between Hedlund, Folkare, Schultz, and Tomas Måsgard is undeniable. They’re playing songs, they’re telling stories together, and they’re doing it with the kind of synchronicity that only comes from decades in the trenches.
Final Verdict: The Fire Still Burns
In the end, Fire Upon Your Lands is proof that Unleashed are still here, still dangerous, and still capable of delivering death metal that stands shoulder to shoulder with their best work. It’s accessible enough to pull in new fans, but uncompromising enough to satisfy the diehards.
If you’ve been with Unleashed since the early days, this album will feel like coming home, assuming your home is a longship loaded with warriors heading into battle. And if you’re new to the band, there’s no better place to start. From the first track to the last, it’s a masterclass in how to keep death metal vital, relevant, and absolutely crushing.
Written by: Chort the Crop Infestor
“Hi, I’m Chort I infest crops and listen to Black Metal!”
