Light This City

The third effort from this collection of Bay Area miscreants, Facing the Thousands is a staggering step forward. The intricacies and subtleties within only serve as accent to domineering songs clearly inspired by the rage and attack of At the Gates and Darkest Hour, while still managing to pull from blacker elements. Thick blast beats are relentless, creating a muscular bottom to the enviably meticulous instrumental prowess that rides overtop. A general aura of a more grounded/less sonically precise (read: human) Arch Enemy with even more unbridled aggression is the ensuing impression, making every one of these ten tracks pummelling and adrenaline-pumping to the point of necessitating immediate re-listens.