"Sacrament" was the last album I paid attention to by these guys , it sounded like were going in more of a Pantera direction . While this is heavier, it also sounds like any of a hundred bands who want to be At the Gates. I can hear a few trademarks of their sounds , but on the opener hear a riff that sounds like it is lifted right off a Slayer album. They go into a hardcore chorus with gang vocals on "Erase This". Randy Blythe does his low Phil like spoken word on "512" , that makes me think he is going go "Walk on home boy.." This is however the first song that really does much for me. I wonder how much of his stint in the Prague prison is reflected in the lyrics. The line " my hands are painted red" made me think of this. Blythe comes close to singing on "Embers" that brings the band back to Pantera's old zip code, as Chris Adler keeps the pace picked up. Chino from shows up midway in to the song and does what he does. It makes them sound a little more Myspace metal. The bass tone surfaces and is very 80s thrash inspired, Anthrax comes to mind there.
"Footprints" is aptly titled as Adler's feet control the song with his swift footwork. The chorus is nothing special and the song idles in a circle pit of thrash riffing. The blues lyrics and clean vocals make "Overlord" stand out. It does bust into some mean Mastodon like riffing.The go for straight ahead thrashing on "Anthropoid". More gang vocals show up and these guys prove they are a machine at this point. The palm muted chug is in full effect on "Engage the Fear Machine" which has a mosh inducing groove. The lyrics are pretty clever which goes along ways to compliment the riff. There is less thinking to be invested in the thrashy groove of "Delusion Pandemic" which comes across like filler.
Dillenger escape Plans singer Greg Puciato shows up on " Torches". His clean vocals provide a very Mastodon like element to a songs whose darkly melodic nature comes across like one of Mastodon's less prog powered moments. This album is better than I expected, though if you are not a fan of macho trash and find such "Panterrible" then this isn't going to change your mind despite the more melodic moments. I'll give it an 8.5.
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