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Boasting a varied and prodigious catalog, Germany's Nocturnal have been cranking out black/thrash for 20+ years. Serpent Death is their fourth full-length and if you gave me just one word to describe it, that word would be "Slayer." That's not the full story, but it goes quite a long way toward painting a picture of the songs on Serpent Death. Combine the speed of Show No Mercy with the evil atmosphere of Hell Awaits, driven by squealing guitars and Araya-esque high-pitched howls, add a pinch of Venom's punk-infused playing and a whiff of the NWOBHM and you've got it. There are no standout tracks, but each one is a festival of blackened thrash played with abandon and joyfully evil glee. Derivative, sure, but that hardly matters when the band's conviction is this high. Desaster, Bewitcher, and Evil CDs dominating your collection? You're going to need to make some space for Serpent Death.