Roger "Rogga" Johansson is one of the most prolific artists in metal with the Encyclopedia Metallum reporting his credits for 9 lines. Some of his bands, which are overwhelmingly death metal, include Rogga Johansson, Megascavenger, Paganizer and Down Among The Dead Men, Ribspreader, Revolting and Stass (the last two to be reviewed here soon) as well as this here, Eye Of Purgatory. I don’t know whether or not Rogga read my reviews of some of his works where I suggested he should focus on more melody in his songs as he definitely has a knack for it but "The Lighthouse" is his catchiest affair since the 2019 "Entrance To The Otherwhere" (Rogga Johansson) if not even more memorable, nothing mindblowing or innovative but a sweet spot between melodic death metal and brutal Swedeath, a kind of early Hypocrisy meets Dismember through Edge Of Sanity, even if some songs could use more variety.

As I’m not familiar with the debut, "The Rotting Enigma" (2018) I can’t really tell whether or not Eye Of Purgatory have improved but what is clear from "The Lighthouse" is that Rogga (vocals, guitars), and half The Absence: Taylor Nordberg (drums, lead guitars, keyboards) and Jeramie Kling (bass) have created a devastating affair for lovers of old school quite melodic Scandinavian death metal. The aforementioned Edge Of Sanity’s melodiscism shines through on the favorite "Where Slowly Life Fades" (the one perfect track on the album) and the excellent "Rotting Pathways" and the punkish Andromedan closer "Rebirther" while the much expected and palpable The Absence influence is evidenced by "Pieces Of A Fading World" and the mighty Hypocrisy a’la "Obscenum Osculum/The Fourth Dimension" by the balladic "Carved In A Stone Bleeding" as well as the surprisingly Into Eternity-ish title opener, but the two biggest surprises are the thick riffing recalling the Christian metallers’ Living Sacrifice from "Inhabit" album (Fornever To Awaken, Carved In A Stone Bleeding) and the ubiquitous use of progressive keys a’la Camel or Marillion, which are used more abundantly in the Helloween-ish "They Silently Await", notabene, easily the weakest link on the album, which, along with "Fornever…" suffers from a little generic "chugga chugga" death metal riffing known from Down Among Dead Men or Paganizer.

In summary, "The Lighthouse" is a very good album not that far from excellence as evidenced by the excellent 2nd half, with great meaty sound and most tracks of significant melodic variety with some notable progressive influence and, again, one of Rogga’s more interesting works which is a testimony to his enduring talent, creativity and resilience on the death metal market.

https://eyeofpurgatory.bandcamp.com/