Reviewed by Andy Binks

I have always approached American metal with caution. There is so much insipid nu-metal around at the moment that I didn’t have high expectations with this band. How wrong I was. This five-piece outfit are clearly influenced by the Swedish melodic thrash scene and musically they bear more than a passing resemblance to bands like At The Gates and The Haunted. There is no messing about here. Right from the start you are bombarded with an onslaught of furious guitars and pounding drums. Like all good melodic thrash albums though, there are some great melodies and catchy riffs on here as well. The vocals don’t disappoint either. They border on black metal for the most part and come across with such intensity and passion. The only time the ferocity subsides is on “Nausea” which is an instrumental, however there are some occasional disturbing screams thrown in to unsettle you. My highlight would have to be ”Eyes Sewn Shut” which features an incredibly heavy guitar sound. This is definitely a band I’ll be keeping my eye on. I can strongly recommend this album to all fans of real metal. If this is anything to go by, the next release should be an absolute blinder.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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