With their latest album Cannae continue to bear their fangs and leave bodies bruised and bones broken as they unleash a menacing storm cloud of unrelenting metal fury. With a short temperament the band quickly bash out 9 tracks (sans the melodic instrumental "Collapse") of snarling brutality intent on utter destruction.

While they do still possess some metalcore tendencies, the thrashier death metal elements of this release - combined with a lust for all-out speed, do distance them from such a maligned genre tag. Ripping through their material with almost demonic glee, the atmosphere is bleak and bloodthirsty as towering riffs rapidly sharpen themselves for a final violent stab. Throaty bellows with a touch of layering refuse to be ignored while an intricately tight rhythm section pounds out walls of smothering double kick and thick agile bass lines.

Comparable in some respects to groups like Carnal Forge (minus the overbearing Swedish thrash tendencies), Cannae have evolved into one of the most competent and straight-forward metal bands around. The songs are played with viciousness and have no problem in conveying an aggressive, if not murderous, message. But as good as the band are, there's still a rigid implementation to their song writing that can become tedious after prolonged exposure.

It's not that the band write bad songs though, it's just that the bulk of them don't particularly stand out from the crowd or offer much aside from a savage mauling. The talent is there, the hunger and determination are clearly there, but aside from the instrumental track, Cannae don't sound so much as they are pushing themselves as they are just honing what they are already comfortable with. Even so, "Gold Becomes Sacrifice" is as solid as a metal album can be and is well worth a listen, even if you have to pick up a few of your teeth from the ground afterwards.