Whether it's a bold or nerdy move to take on the name of an ancient Greek-Egyptian god for the moniker of your band is up to debate. What isn't, is the fact that Serapis, a group who feature former members of My Surrender, bring enough shred and sonic destruction to decimate a pyramid with a single breakdown.

Along the lines of a thicker Darkest Hour mixed with subtle traces of Poison The Well's melodicism, these Memphis, TN natives advance forth with a blitzkrieg-like assault of thrashy riffs, an elephantine rhythm section and screeching vocals that occasionally simmer off into a few soaring harmonies. When these elements are combined with the groups claustrophobic and violent songwriting style, it's not long before a cathartic aural dementia soon sets in.

Helping fuel this destruction is the antagonistic flourishes of tech and grind that often surface within the music. While not enough to take it into a realm of say Ion Dissonance-styled chaos, the mangled nature of the songs are still rich with malice and utterly disorienting aggression. Unabashedly heavy, yet anchored enough to still write actual 'songs', Serapis show off some fine chops on this release.

Sure bands like Lamb Of God and Darkest Hour have already beaten them to the punch, but Serapis are more than capable of reopening the wounds. In fact, the only thing that really holds them back here is their own lack of experimentation with their melodic aspects. The few tracks they do step out and add some harmonies on quickly become recognizable, while the rest just seem left to jockey for position.