This is the Dutch band's 6th album. They play fairly straightforward death metal. The vocals are on the lower side though not as guttural as Cannibal Corpse, more in the realm of a forceful grunt. The drummer is a beast, but you have to be to play death metal. They do not waste time rushing into faster tempos. Varied riffs are sprinkled in as the guitars provide the most melody when it is time to solo. The bass player is impressive when he bubbles to the surface. "Hogtied in Rope" balances brutality with technical playing. There are some ominous Morbid Angel-like riffs lumbering around, but nothing really new that shows you what sets these guys apart.
A storm of faster double bass drives the title track. There is really nothing about the vocals or the riffing that gives them a more pronounced identity here. The syncopation works with the vocal pattern which is one of the first attempts to create a hook. "Christ Immersion" finds them blasting even faster. I have no problem with raging against religion, it could be done in a more memorable manner. Things become more creatively stagnant on "Putrid Remains". It is commanding but beats you with the same sonic colors, and offers little in the way of dynamics.
"The Pinnacle of Suffering " blasts past me with sharp angry riffs, but just bleed into everything else w have heard on this album so far. They continue to follow the wrathful formula set into place earlier in the album though at some point in each song it feels like they are trying to play faster than they did on the previous song. Sometimes it blasts by in a manner that catches your ear then at other times it does not. It feels like they are blasting through the riffs at tempos that are so fast you are not able to latch onto them. I will round this down to an 8, for this reason. They care enough about the songs, but care even more about how fast and furious things are;. This is being released on Season of Mist.
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