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Singapore's long-running Black/Thrash band Impiety is back with album #8 entitled Ravage & Conquer. The songs are a mix of early Black/Thrash, notably Celtic Frost (vocalist Shyaithan even throws a couple of Tom G. Warrior-esque "OOOOOs!!!" into a couple of songs) and more modern Black/Thrash. The lyrics are mostly decipherable, given a bit of effort. The music is full of second wave blackened blast-beats underpinning savage guitar riffs. And it is all played fast. Extremely fast. Like, how the hell are they playing it that fast? The drums are like a machine gun that is incessantly strafing back and forth across your eardrums. And while I can't doubt the skill required to play any instrument at warp speed it does render the album rather monotonous. There are a few spots where Impiety slows down the pace a bit (i.e. the chorus of "Ravage & Conquer") which enhances the mood quite a bit. The solos of guitarist Nizam Aziz are pure old-school Thrash, of course, played at light-speed. Think some of the best King/Hanneman solos from Show No Mercy.

If Blackened/Thrash is your thing or if you are just looking for something with which to annoy the neighbors, may I respectfully recommend Impiety's Ravage & Conquer.