Delivering the same intense yet singularly paced style of mechanically precise black/death metal akin to Krisiun, Zyklon or even Crionics and The Amenta (without the cyber elements), Belgium’s The Reckoning (formerly known as Infernal Legion) have delivered a solid second album, that won’t change the genre, but it’s a pummeling, relentless listen.

Truthfully, I really don’t need to expand on the above paragraph as Counterblast isn’t the kind of album to either gush over or berate, but it does serve as a 39 minutes of tightly played black/death (slightly heavier on the black) metal that’s above average, (at least for its first half before the intensity wears off) in its musicianship and delivery. Drummer Jurgen Sterckx (or “Morbid”) is a steady force behind the kit and vocalist Peter Noens (both also serving in black metal act Natrach) has an ample rasp/growl, culminating in 10 tracks of blissfully blasting tenacity. No interludes, no experimentation, no mercy.

Look no further than impressively fierce opener “Downward Discipline” for the template for the rest of the album and only the first few minutes of “Hellkind” and parts of the six minute “Bleed Divine” offers any sort of reprieve with a slow menacing lurch to break up the assault from the likes of “March to Your Death”, “Heap of Wretchedness”, “Vermicular”, “Nailed to Iniquity” and closing cover of Terrorizer’s “Dead Shall Rise”.

Hardly a required listen, but an acceptable release if you need to be blasted into pieces.

[Visit the band's website]

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