Considering the band name, logo,  album’s title and cool cover art, I braced for some ‘brootal’ death metal. However, what I actually got was some sharp if derivative Germanic  melodic death metal/metalcore in the vein of the label’s 00s stuff like Feast For the Crows, Six Reasons to Kill, Deadsoil the american sound of the time (Sons of Azrael, The Red Death etc), and of course Heaven Shall Burn.

It’s not ground braking, but it’s pretty good with an undeniable energy. It’s got that tight At The Gates earlier The Black Dahlia Murder backbone with as dash of Killswitch Engage‘s melodic and vocal duality so its got a pretty wide appeal, even if the appeal is  about 8 years too late.

This is the band’s fourth album since 2007, so the guys are productive and persistent, even in a style that’s seen its heyday come and go. But they go for it with aplomb and maybe a decade ago, I would have been all over this. But as it stands even with all the tenants of the style in place (thrash meets European melodic death metal, solid production, lots of leads, etc) , including a nice vocal variety from front man Marcus “Osher” Friedrich, I’m not as excited for the sound as I once was.

Still, tracks like the opening title track, “Beyond Redemption”,”I Am King”  and energetic  “Ashes of Destiny”are solid examples of the genre, but 6 songs in they all sound a bit samey.  There is of course the required introspective number in 5 minute instrumental “Oblivion”, and the only this missing is a full on ballad or sugary “My Last Serenade” like chorus, which thankfully the band avoid. But

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