Sworn Enemy - Maniacal

I don't know much about Sworn Enemy, I've always just assumed they were a terrible hardcore band, and though this newest release, Maniacal, isn't terrible, it's not very exciting. From this record it sounds like these guys could be capable of writing something good. I don't know whether they intend to inject the dull and repetitive hardcore influenced riffs into the songs or its just a result of them running out of ideas of where their songs should head.

There is some good riffing here, as well as some aggressive fast paced tunes that get your head going. The guitar solos prove that the guitarists are capable of shredding. At their best, they sound kind of like the Swedish Nightrage. I just can't deal with the hardcore elements that surface throughout the album.

4/10