Februus, a Swedish death metal band named after the Etruscan god of the underworld, has released its latest album, 'Construction of Conflict'. The album is a follow-up to their previous record, 'Surveillance Orgy', which was well-received for its unique blend of Artificial Brain-esque zaniness and the raw aggression of Exhumed. The band's solo artist, Andreas Karlsson, provides nearly every element of the band, except for the drumming, which is programmed. While the album's guitar work is impressive, with pirouetting riffs and odd-timing, it lacks the earworms that would make it more accessible to a wider audience. The dense instrumentation and challenging vocals make the album rewarding, bewildering, and time-consuming to pick apart. The production and guitar tone are consistent, but the lack of throughline riffs and conceptual variety makes the album feel samey at times. Despite its flaws, 'Construction of Conflict' is an acquired taste that can be frequently astounding, especially for those who don't mind not understanding the lyrics and are willing to let the abstruse songs whisk them away to a truly alien land. The album draws inspiration from the ills of modern society, making it a thought-provoking listen for those who want to explore the obtuse, monolithic, and devious nature of our ruling bodies and systemic structures. Overall, the album is a very good addition to the death metal genre, with a rating of 7 out of 10.
