I did not expect them to come out of the gate thrashing; their best work found the band deviating from the thrash genre that wa dominant in the late 80s and bringing a staccato groove to the occasion that was ahead of its time. Come to think of it, this band's name does not come up enough in conversations about the roots of nu-metal. It feels like they are trying to find their place in the musical climate of 2026. "New Commission" follows a similar formula to the opening track, but with a catchier chorus. "The Uprising" has a harder sound and a pounding beat that resonates more closely with who they are.
"Uncertain Truth" is the best song so far; it's way more melodic and hooky, perhaps almost too much so for purists of their classic sound. "Fear the Sun" has more of a metallic chug; it's one of the more polished songwriting choices so far that still feels true to who they are. 'Common Resolution" is more like the punk side of Killing Joke, who is obviously an influence on this band. They continue down this punk road with "Doomed World". The vocal phrashing sounds like them but not the riffs. The doubling down on thrashing speed for "Proportionate Response" , it works better than some moments so far.
"Trangression" comes much closer to what you want from these guys. I listened to " Simulated Drowning" three times without remembering what I heard, leaving me to think it had to be the most hookless, bland thing on the album. The last song had a chorus melody that stood out, so it was a better song, more of the Killing Joke vibe to it. Overall, I give this album an 8; they are trying to thrash way too much and that was never what they were about, that said, they still know how to write a song, and that shines through half the time. Dropping on Napalm Records November 6th.
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