When the first wave of American musicians got their hands on the “Gothenburg Sound” — the style of crunchy, fuzzy, melodic death metal made famous by a million Swedish bands from Entombed to Arch Enemy to In Flames — they fused it with screamo, created a genre called “metalcore,” did brisk business at Hot Topic, and forced upon us deep cultural fissures that can never be healed. Not since Warrant had metal been so embarrassing to the metalhead! But over the past few years, the Gothenburg sound has been reclaimed by the likes of American producer/Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou, who has found new life in the HM2 pedal working with artists such as Trap Them, Kvelertak, and Black Breath, among many others. Still, it’s nice to hear actual Swedes doing something with the sound that isn’t either a retread or a misstep. Agrimonia features Martin Larsson of death metal gods At The Gates and Pontus Redig of rad crust-metallers Martyrdod (both are also connected to Swedish crustpunks Skitsystem) playing a style of melodic metal that feels like it could not have been born anywhere but Gothenburg. In a good way! The band’s third LP, Rites Of Separation, is cleaner and more expansive than anything produced by At The Gates or Martyrdod, but the sharp hooks sink deep, as the album varies styles and tempos, never losing direction or force. The vocals are delivered by Christina (no last name, apparently, per the band’s quote-unquote bio), who guides the richly layered guitars with a harsh, blood-raising roar. –Michael [LISTEN]