Februus is the solo project of Swedish musician Andreas Karlsson, who plays progressive death metal. After his debut “Surveillance Orgy” in 2024, he released his second album, “Construction of Conflict”, on September 4, 2026. As on the first album, Karlsson does everything himself: he writes, plays and sings, without sharing his ideas with anyone else.
The record’s sound is dense and difficult. The tracks have many riffs that change abruptly, with heavy, murky production that buries the drums and bass. “Genocide by Default” starts abruptly, as if entering in the middle of a riff, while “The First Limb is Cut” alternates loud and airy passages without smooth transitions. The vocals are low, almost unintelligible, in an old death metal style.
The record, though, isn’t easy to listen to: there are sloppy performances, repetitive riffs and passages that are hard to hear, with “Suicide by Proxy” and “Fueled by Narcissism” being the most difficult tracks. But there are bright spots too: “The Misery That Awaits the World” is a calm interlude, “Suicide by Proxy” closes with a nice part full of reverb, and the finale “Suppressing the Future” has a dreamy, acoustic passage.
The record is difficult and isn’t for everyone. Those who can endure the dense structure and the rough production will find ideas inside that are worth it, especially in its calmer moments. Karlsson has a talent for creating atmosphere, and whether it works to his benefit depends on whether he gives more time to the beautiful moments and less to the noise. An interesting release for those who love the more demanding progressive death metal.
See also: Zvindiyar – Six Rites and Opeth – The Last Will & Testament
