Hail of Bullets

Some metalheads pray at the altar of vocalist Martin van Drunen, and for good reason. His work with Pestilence, Asphyx and Bolt Thrower has proven his lungs are nothing if not (un)godly, and his latest project ― no-bullshit death metallers Hail of Bullets ― show the man is still a force to be reckoned with behind the mic, the passing of time be damned. And his band kick ass, as proven on this second full-length. Opener "Operation Z" sets the tone, rallying the troops for double-bass-led, no-frills old-school death. The band also excel at mid-pace stompers ("On Coral Shores") that bring to mind a youthful Obituary. "Strategy of Attrition," despite its insanely DM-until-death title, gallops along at an almost-punk beat, until the three-minute mark, when it gets all old-school Swedish death on your ass. And that's about as unpredictable as this album gets, which is just fine. When you've got a band crafting perfect death metal with extreme metal royalty behind the mic, there's no need for surprises.