Kraspoutine

Moving beyond the overt political essence of their previous release, Kraspoutine vs. Destroievsky finds this French-Canadian punk/metal hybrid developing impressively intensified abilities by way of writing, delivery and heart. A menacing half-hour of churning beats, unsubtle intricacies and barbaric attack, it's almost as if Voivod took Ministry's Psalm 69 and beat it with such relentless rhythmic beastliness that it became a new creature unto itself. A touch more clinical, sterile and overtly metal than its greatest influence, elements of DBC, Prong and other long-forgotten metal outfits, Québécois or otherwise, barrel out of this band's work. This elicits nostalgic tinges to those in-the-know and faces too fresh to know such legacies will find these new sounds compelling. While some tunes do meander a bit and would be truly vicious if delivered with expedience instead of drawn-out instrumental babbling, because it is thick without lumbering and progressive, but far from burdened by technicality, this latest work proves just how much more attention Kraspoutine deserve in all facets of extreme music.