Satariel might not play a surprising variation of what is expected from a Swedish melodic death metal band; but what they lack in inventiveness they excel in great riffs and melodies.

Chifra is the follow up of the 2005 album “Hydra”, a record that certainly took the band from obscurity and raised a couple of eyebrows because of its consistency and catchy melodic death metal; still, the promotion for that previous record was not enough to put Satariel among names like Dark Tranquillity, In Flames and Arch Enemy, a shame really, since this guys are quite good; their story reminds me a bit to what Dutch band Detonation suffers from, a lack of promotion and exposure, because the music talks for its self and can be compared to what the big names in mellow metal are doing these days, better is you compare them with metalcore/emo In Flames. (I had to get that out of my chest!)

In just 4 tracks Satariel re-introduces the right way to mix sweet melodies, angry vocals, and heavy riffs; exposing their core elements, simplicity and a basic logic that makes their music so appealing and welcome; if we must and I think as a service to many that have no idea who this guys are, we would compare them with Soilwork…with Soilwork’s best work, just so you understand how good Satariel sounds in this EP.

It might sound to some that certain intros or segments in Chifra seem constructed for a more “easy listening” crowd, but as the structure of the songs reveal themselves you start to comprehend that Satariel’s ability to make something simple sound really good is their true and most appealing quality.