Grave Desecrator

Remember when you first heard Sepultura's debut album? It actually sounded evil, for real; it came from some country we knew nothing about, had dudes named Igor, Max and Paulo Jr. playing at unreal speeds with absolutely no melody in sight, and was even more bat-shit crazy than Venom or Slayer in their nascent years. Strange to imagine that now, but pop on this latest from Brazil's Grave Desecrator and that feeling comes right back. It's modern ― there are more hellish black thrash overtones than any old Sep cassette ― and it's heavier, but when you think about it, only at the rate of inflation. That one falsetto vocal on the five-minute, is-this-song-actually-still-going-on? opener, "Black Vengeance," gives it a nice retro feel and other songs, like the title track, evoke Celtic Frost at their heaviest and catchiest. But this album (the band's second) is no retro fest/feast. It's bestial. It's maniacal. It's all lustmord and cult spelled wrong, and all sorts of new-millennium extreme metal nastiness, done up with a huge love of those who brought the noise first and foremost. And there are tons of great guitar solos.