On Friday the 18th, Swedish crust punk band Fredag Den 13:e released their fifth studio album. Right off the bat, I have a complaint. If you're a band called "Friday the 13th", why not aim for a Friday the 13th release date? After all, they had two options this year: January 13th and October 13th. On the flip side, I'm glad I didn't have to wait until October to listen to Mänskliga Gränstillstånd (which translates to something like "human limit states").
Sadly, I don't speak Swedish. So, using a mix of English and German translations, I've attempted to gather meaning from the lyrics. With talk of a "monopoly of violence" and a coming storm that will "destroy everything in its wake", the album proclaims that "you live a lie" and there is "nothing left to die for". These morbid themes are mirrored in the grotesque and nightmarish black-and-white cover art depicting devils with pitchforks and a many-mouthed Satan gnawing on sinners.
Yet, despite these initial impressions of the album's theme, the music presented here is surprisingly engaging instead of purely abrasive. The songs go at a breakneck pace, invigorated with a catchy, adrenaline-filled, punk attitude. With the energetic yelling of the singer, I instinctively think of Kvelertak's blackened hardcore/punk style. The groovy riffs and backing crew shouts make me want to sing along, even if it's not in language but in metal spirit. The real highlight for me is the melodic lead guitar work, which is very reminiscent of Devil Master's mix of meloblack and crust punk, as demonstrated on last year's Ecstasies of Never Ending Night.
These uplifting melodies and the addictive energy battle against the harsh vocals and lyrics. Fittingly, this emergence of positivity amidst the oppressive music parallels the audio sample at the start of the album: Charlie Chaplin's famous speech in The Great Dictator, in which he advocates for battling against tyranny and striving for a better world.
"The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish…
Soldiers! Don’t give yourselves to brutes - men who despise you - enslave you - who regiment your lives - tell you what to do - what to think and what to feel! Who drill you - diet you - treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men."
In conclusion, Fredag Den 13:e deliver a very fun experience for fans of Kvelertak and Devil Master. While there might not be great variety in the song structure, the 12 songs on Mänskliga Gränstillstånd fly by in 30 minutes of headbanging pleasure, spearheaded by sweet guitar leads and an animated vocal performance.
