"Bastard Son" may be a brute of an album that revels in malevolence and all out abrasive metal fury, but it sure isn't an album that only its parents in Watch Them Die could love. Its appeal should actually be quite broad as there are elements of various styles ground into the bloodied mish-mash on display here; the most predominant of which are the grim shades of Bay Area thrash and death metal which repeatedly cross paths with some key European influences.

But while violence and extreme by today's standards may cause most to think of groups like Converge and Pig Destroyer, the modern molten aggression that Watch Them Die spew forth has a decidedly traditional early 90's metal backbone to it. The songs, while layered and continually frenetic, don't stray off into dizzying part changes or emotive croons and instead continue to bludgeon the listener long after consciousness has been lost.

This unwavering determination and outright lust for brutality are the defining factors of this latest body of work and can wind up producing some rather gruesome results. Not all is well though. The album starts off with a bang as the group willfully gnaw and tear at the listener with some highly explosive material. However, by the midway mark, things start to get a bit sloppier and veer towards sludgey dirges that bog the momentum down by lacking the crisp murderous vision that is exhibited earlier on.

Eventually, the tide is once again turned, and the momentum is set back to breakneck - but not without consequences. It's appreciable that the group would go out of their way to take a stab at some sonic depth and add some variety to the otherwise straight forward progression of the album. But unfortunately more than a few weaknesses are exposed in the process. In turn, with "Bastard Son" Watch Them Die" have birthed a bully, that while not the sharpest tool in the shed, will still leave many of its peers and onlookers headed to the nurses office.