Sinister

Despite a brief hiatus, it's never taken Dutch death metal veterans Sinister very long to release new material. Their latest full-length, and tenth to date, The Carnage Ending, follows 2010's Legacy of Ashes, finding resilient main man Aad Kloosterwaard with a brand new line-up after years of member changes. At first, it sounds as though Kloosterwaard has taken Sinister in a different direction, as instrumental opener "Gates of Bloodshed" starts the record off with an unusual dark and eerie atmosphere. But as soon as "Unheavenly Domain" kicks in that notion is expelled, as Sinister unleash an attack of blast beat drumming and traditional, groove-laden death metal riffage. Sinister deliver classic song structures, punishing vocals and precise, razor-sharp guitar work throughout, keeping one foot firmly planted in their past, preserving the style and personality they started with in the late '80s, while excellent production value modernizes The Carnage Ending and adds to its mammoth sound.