Amplified is a weekly column focusing on new and emerging artists. Got a band that fits the bill? Email amplified@metalinsider.net.

Gothenberg’s Despite present some interesting paradoxes in what they do, and while they’re walking some well-trodden ground for the most part, they carve out an interesting sonic space of their own within that style. Their ties to the infamous city in Sweden suggests some At The Gates-ian melodic death, or – shudder – metalcore, but their riffing owes a lot more to the cutting edge of modern metal, and their melodic choruses are far rougher than the auto-tuned-beyond-recognition saccharine cleans of those offshoots these days. They play eight-string guitars, but they’re too straightforward to have much djent happening. It’s an interesting mix of styles, one that despite (boooo) being difficult to completely nail down and classify, still manages to be instantly recognizable. Check out “As You Bleed” below, and pick up their second album, “Epic” on Bandcamp!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVWPz0xFMfU[/youtube]