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I'm very picky when it comes to death metal. I don't really like most bands (and absolutely hate some), and very often the reviewing process is a painful one. Well here's Hypnos from the Czech Republic and I think I can add them to the list of death metal bands I actually like. Fast, sharp-sounding riffs make up this album, coupled with growls that are actually tolerable to my ears.

But that's not all - Hypnos go beyond the basic death metal elements and actually vary their material quite a bit, making for a pretty interesting listening experience. Instead of boring us with full-speed songs for the whole duration of the album, Hypnos actually ventures a lot in slower beats, in fact some songs have in large part a pretty slow beat. Add to this some actual melodies (but fear not, this is not the Gothenburg-style melodic stuff), occasionally some thrash-style vocals, and also some spoken parts (very little, but still noticeable.) All blended together, this is anything but boring. They don't overdo the technical side of things so there's actually some feeling to the songs as well, something I value a lot (and also a reason why I dislike so many death metal bands.) Tight playing, variety, good songwriting = goooood. ;)

Although they're quite different, I found some similarities with The Chasm - the sharp riffs and some of the drum work mostly. There also seems to be a lot of thrash influence, especially in the slower parts. I think this album belongs in any death metal fan's collection, and some thrash fans may want to give it a try as well. This is the best death metal album I've heard in the past few months. Highly recommended.