Boston-based trio Malleus are a Black/Thrash band mining the ground originally turned by Hellhammer/early Celtic Frost on their debut EP Storm of Witchcraft. The riffs are chaotically thrashy yet melodic with vocals that abuse the listeners' ears. It only takes the first few measures of "Blackened Skies" with its "Circle of the Tyrants" guitar work to know that this EP is well done Morbid Tales/Emperor's Return worship. Black/Thrash is really getting watered down at this point, but Malleus have more conviction than most and a keener ear for what it should sound like, even if that means sounding an awful lot like Celtic Frost.