“So you thought Gothenburg metal was dead ?!?!? Then you surely haven’t listened to this album yet”: screams the press sheet that accompanied the debut cd of Swedish metallers Within Y. After listening to Extended Mental Dimensions a few times, I must admit that this time the press sheet has some truth in it. This is Gothenburg death metal the way it should sound, aggressive but melodic and to a certain extent catchy death metal with a taste of thrash. It all sounds very fresh and you can hear this band is young, hungry and eager to play.

Within Y was founded in February/March 2002 and released a demo later that year, creating quite a buzz which led to a deal with Karmageddon Media. So this young band accomplished a lot in their short history. The reviews of their demo were very good so I can safely say that this album will also be received well and it should be.

Extended Mental Dimensions surely reminds of the famous Gothenburg bands from the mid-nineties.

Bands like At The Gates, Dark Tranquillity and In Flames shaped this genre of light melodic death metal and have since disbanded or steered away from the genre. Luckily, other bands filled this gap and continue to produce quality music. Within Y is no trendsetter or revolutionary in terms of style and composition, but they’re certainly able to write and play some very decent tracks. The sound is way above par, very clear and open, and everything is perfectly audible, although vocalist Andreas is too much up front in the mix, if you ask me. He uses a very light grunt that sometimes sounds like the vocals of a hardcore/metalcore band. Upon first listening, it may seem a bit monotonous but overall he has a strong voice.

In short, if you’re in the mood for some catchy, melodic yet aggressive death metal, you know what to look for.