This is the first album from 2020 I am reviewing. Not much has changed for these guys , but the sound is dialed in tighter. This band is a lot of fun. The thrash side is more pronounced with a nasty snarl to the Venom like vocals . The guitar solos are more rock n roll which pays homage to their punk side. The title track has a catchy riff to the chorus. There is more of a gallop to the song itself. I think I like it better than the opener. Though after repeat listens the opener grows on me. "Escape the Grave" has more of a punk thing going on that does less for me than the first two songs. They stay on this Venomous path from this point on. It is a sound that is true to who this band is, so despite the fact I typically need more dynamics from music, I knew what I was getting into here.
The drums become more deliberate going into the slower "Rising Scum"> It is still very Venom, but there is more breathing room and it is not totally reliant on speed. This does invoke a more classic metal sound,. There is a more dirty black n roll feel to "Warning From the Reaper" . They get even more rock n roll on "Cursed Possessions". Sometimes this mode can be a little too straight forward and I begin to get bored at times. "the Sounds of Hell " is even more punk. It might be the album's most punk moment. It's a well written punk song with all the right embellishments in all the right places.
There is more melody in the darker guitar strains of "You Can Drag Me Through Fire" that closes the album. There is nod toward more traditional classic heavy metal, namely Judas Priest on this one. Not vocally , but riff wise. The vocals stick to the same snarl throughout the album. Overall this album is fun and well done though dynamically flat so the songs begin to sound the same to some extent. I will round it down to an 8.5.
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