By now, fans of the metal world have grown accustomed to what has been coined the "Gothenburg sound", a melodic death metal format that was championed by At The Gates. As of late the seminal style has seen a resurgence in popularity with the likes of Darkest Hour, In Flames and Dark Tranquillity becoming household names within the metal ranks, so much to the point that one could say the genre has become over-exposed. Now from Swedish metal's 'birthplace' rises another young band looking to ride the wave of melodic death metal, as Within Y come forth boasting former Gardenian drummer Thim Blom and a ravenous debut, "Extended Mental Dimensions".

This is an album where the musicianship is first and foremost, and anything else is just icing upon the cake. As with most melodic death ensembles the focus is primarily on the dual guitar assault of Nikke Almen and Mikael Nordin, as they perform the style with voracious glee. As the album progresses they further explore their abilities, making for a record that builds steadily while documenting their guitar capabilities as they get more adventurous and inventive with the tried and true formula. There is a certain amount of familiarity found as well, after all the Gothenburg sound is fairly commonplace now, yet the group do the style justice while also injecting their own metallic fervor to the mix. This equates to some creative moments, notably the tempo shift on "Remains Of A Shattered Illusion" and the percussion of "Feeble And Weak". Vocalist Andreas Solvestrom also impresses, and though his unwavering bellows never leave the listener speechless, he meshes well with the band and provides the intensity to match his musical brethren.

Within Y may be newcomers to the metal realm but with "Extended Mental Dimensions" they prove to be one of the hungriest to emerge in the new world of heavy music. The searing melodic guitar symmetry between Almen and Nordin carries the album with precision and finesse, while the skill of Blom behind the drum kit gives the band some experience to learn from as well as a decimating fifth member that amplifies the intensity and heaviness tenfold. Though Within Y never truly transcend the Swedish metal boundaries they have still concocted a scintillating metal voyage, and with their musical talent and ability to make an old style sound new again, they have the potential to be slaughtering souls for quite some time.