### Ribspreader: The van murders

#### 11/04/11 || Khlysty

Yo, Rogga, how many fucking records have you made this far, man? 40? 50? 500? A trillion? What the hell are you, man, a death metal producing machine? And, when are you going to write an album solely with cellos and flutes and a big-ass harp? Or have you already done this?

Anyway, girls, Rogga’s at it again. And, this time he’s gone the whole hawg and created a concept death metal album, ‘bout the life and crimes of two (fictional?) murderers, The Cleaner and Mr. Filth, who use the above-mentioned vehicle as the place where they perpetrate their horrible acts. Look, “Panopticon” this is not, but I really don’t think Rogga wanted it to be, either.

Instead, what we get is nine tracks of trad death metal, with some nods to thrash riffing, thrown in for good measure. The songs are generally within the three-three-and-a-half minute time frame and their flow is pretty okay to these ears. Rogga’s guitar is meaty and his playing seems focused. His vocals are a gurgly grunt and properly incomprehensible, while the drumming by Brynjar Helgetun (hey, that you, Floody?) is groovy and to-the-point.

Look, as Blabbermouth says, Rogga described the music in “The van murders” as “dirty, simple old-school death metal”, and that’s what I hear. The only curveball is the instrumental “Going to L.A.”, where we’re treated to a dirty guitar riff played around for a bit over three minutes, before we return to Rogga’s usual tools of the trade. Bottom line is that “The van murders” is a pretty enjoyable, even if not watershed, death metal album that does what it does (that is, bangs, rattles and grooves) in an enjoyable manner. Even though I have no deep knowledge of Rogga’s full oeuvre, I can say that I liked this one okay and so should you.

- Information
- Released: 2011
- Label: Vic Records
- Website: Ribspreader MySpace
- Band
- Rogga Johansson: vocals, guitar, bass
- Andreas: guitars
- Brynjar Helgetun: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. The beginning of their end
- 02. The Cleaner and Mr. Filth
- 03. A morbid journey
- 04. Sick minds think alike
- 05. Going to L.A.
- 06. Silicon Valley of death
- 07. Slaughterhouse of death
- 08. Cadaver disposal
- 09. This is the Ribspreader