With Slayer now routinely taking half a decade to release a new album, it's only fair that someone should try and usurp their claim to being the kings of thrash metal. While this hasn't happened yet, if Germany's Dew-Scented keep putting out albums as good as this and 2003's "Inward", such a power shift may not be far off.

Similar, at least in theory, to groups like The Haunted, God Forbid and Carnal Forge, Dew-Scented mix breakneck speed metal ferocity with abrasive thrash and a sinister death metal aesthetic to achieve their rigorously paced destruction. But while many of their peers throw in a bit of melodic hook and acoustic grace here and there, Dew-Scented instead bulldoze ahead, tossing in an unbridled solo or an even heavier verse or chorus.

This consistent vehemence is indeed refreshing and makes for a collection of songs that refuse to let the listener rest. But while this is all well and good, the similar formula, or at least style, present on each track causes much of the material to become interchangeable. There's no denying the bands brutality or technical agility, as they exude both qualities. But there's still a decided lack of innovation, or at least creative spark, that leaves this album as merely good rather than great.