Sweden’s War Magic is about to detonate. On March 7, 2025, these battle-hardened berserkers drop Atomic Rites via Obelisk Polaris Productions, and trust me, this ain’t just an album. It’s a fallout shelter of riffs, a howling manifesto for armageddon enthusiasts. Already got a taste? Their title track’s out now, and holy hell, it’s like Bolt Thrower and Death had a lovechild raised on Chernobyl’s finest vodka.
Formed in 2021 by Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Massacre — dude’s got more bands than Sweden has IKEAs) and Peter Svensson (Assassin’s Blade, Void Moon), War Magic was born to worship the war-metal gods. Think Bolt Thrower’s tank-tread grooves meets old-school death metal’s rotting heart. Add drummer Thomas Ohlsson (ex-F.K.Ü)’s artillery-grade blast beats, and you’ve got a trio that doesn’t just play war — they wage it.
Their 2022 debut, Foreverwar, was a straight-up artillery barrage. But Atomic Rites? This time, they’ve swapped the battlefield for the occult. Sort of. The “war” is still there — oh, it’s there — but now it’s tangled with “magic,” PTSD, and the ghostly fallout of humanity’s dumbest ideas. Take the title track: a gnarly deep-dive into the Manhattan Project’s atomic sins. Or “Shattered Mind,” which doesn’t just describe veterans’ trauma — it sonically replicates the chaos of a brain at war.
Production-wise? Raw as a fresh wound. Recorded at The Rotpit and Night Wind Studios (because of course they’re called that), mixed by Svensson himself, this album’s guitar tone feels like radiation burns. The drums? Napalm in stereo. And that cover art by Julián Felipe Mora Ibáñez? A swirling, Lovecraftian nightmare that’d make Giger blush.
Look, death metal’s a crowded trench. But War Magic? They’re the ones lobbing grenades. Atomic Rites isn’t just “old-school” — it’s a time machine to the ’90s Stockholm scene, if that scene had been fueled by nuclear anxiety and existential dread. Rogga’s riffs? Still thicker than a Viking’s beard. Svensson’s lyrics? Poetry for the damned.
And that title track? It’s already out, folks. Crank the YouTube link below, and tell me your speakers aren’t begging for mercy.
War Magic’s Atomic Rites isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s for those of us who like our metal like our coffee: black, bitter, and capable of keeping us awake through the apocalypse. This album doesn’t just ask for your attention — it demands it, with chainsaw guitars and lyrics that’ll haunt your nightmares.
So, pre-order the CD, stock up on Geiger counters, and pray your neighbors are hard of hearing. March 7 isn’t just a release date — it’s a warning.
“Some bands write songs. War Magic writes war crimes.” — Me, after surviving three listens
Links (Enter the Blast Radius):
“Atomic Rites” Official Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KwNuQNu_CI
Obelisk Polaris Productions: https://www.facebook.com/obeliskpolaris/
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