Black Anvil

Bestowing a blackened aura upon a solid thrash/groove foundation, Black Anvil are not "the best metal band out of NY in ten years," as certain sources close to the band would claim. However, they are pretty damn solid, as demonstrated by the lack of filler material and overall bombardment of one teeth-clenching riff after the next. At a mere nine tracks, and, thus, without any downtime to waste, the group focus on fluid, memorable tracks that at points recall an urbanized Immortal, although the vocals are a dead ringer for Enslaved front-man Grutle Kjellson. On occasion, the group betray their hardcore roots slightly, illustrating the deep-seated connection between several subgenres within a blackened context. The production enhances this; it's not claustrophobic but unified and punchy enough to keep all of their influences from blurring together. A passable Celtic Frost cover winds the record down somewhat anti-climatically. While Time Insults the Mind is a rollicking good time during listening, afterwards one is left slightly empty. More seamless integration of their influences and frankly, catchier songs would go a long way towards leaving more of an impression. That said, they're well on their way.