Review by Carl on January 3, 2022.

It would be an understatement to say that Obtruncation has seen their share of bad luck throughout the years. They recorded their first full length in 1995, only to see it released in 1998. After that, there followed a silence that lasted until the release of this album in 2014, only to lose their drummer Martin in 2017 (RIP). Everything seems to be silent since then, unfortunately. It's a shame that a band this talented had to endure these setbacks. A fact made all the more clear listening to the music on this album.

On this album the band continues where they left off on their debut album. Death metal in the vein of like minded acts such as Azarath, Morbid Angel, Nox and Diabolic collides with thrash metal as it is played by acts like Dead Head, Radiathor and Dark Angel, but there are also influences of others, such as "Human" era Death, Slayer and Sinister. The tempo is kept high for most of the album, and the band showcases musicianship that is a very good deal above par. The riffing is intricate and the lead work is searing, with the spirit of Trey Azagthoth never being far away. The individual songs are bursting with different riffs, breaks and tempo changes, and the level of energy is high throughout the runtime of this album. It took me a few listens to get to the heart of the matter, because there is so much happening. Still, and this must be said, it never deteriorates into a chaotic mess or does it become unlistenable, the band keeps it fierce and on point for the complete duration of the album. This picture of technical yet remorselessly aggressive death metal is completed by the awesome vocals. Singer Anton uses different techniques with his voice, and in doing so successfully builds in a lot of variation with this. From barked growls, hoarse grunts and snarled screams, that sound like the phlegm is actually hitting my eardrum, it all comes roaring by, complementing the intense music and adding even more suspense to the complete picture. The production sounds contemporary and modern, but does so without veering into synthetic sounding and overly digital territory. Everything the musicians play can be clearly discerned, while the music is still able to breathe.

As stated earlier, it will probably take a few spins to really "get" the album, but the more you listen, the better this gets. The music is technical, but never loses itself in pointless wankery, staying brutal and aggressive, and thanks to the excellent production, it all stays energetic and powerful.

If you like bands such as Centurian, Angelcorpse, Chaos Inception, Brazil's Abhorrence and those mentioned earlier, you will find much to your liking on this great album. If you are a fan of well played high speed death metal, you can't afford to miss this one.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10