Landmine Marathon

Like the last disc from these Arizonian death/thrash/crusters, 2008's Rusted Eyes Awake, it's hard not to stare at the cool cover while listening to the raw death metal that comes with this, their third full-length. But while last time the cover evoked a campy horror rock band, this time it's pure Dan fucking Seagrave, which makes sense: before, we thought there was some fun involved with the band, but with this outing, they're attacking with teeth bared and claws extended on what is easily their best work yet. Opener "Exist" is pure Bolt Thrower crawling grind, while "Cruel Policy" keeps the mid-era Napalm Death comparisons coming strong. "Rise with the Tide" is a smart choice for album closer, containing an epic melodic refrain in a concise framework. The album is pure traditional death metal, but done with a way raw, inner-city production and vibe, like Tragedy was covering Edge of Sanity, with a female singer! It's weird, but it works ― don't change a thing, gang.